The two Milan giants and Atletico Madrid followed all six English Premier League clubs in pulling out of the European Super League on Wednesday, dealing a fatal blow to the project.
The withdrawals by Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham came just 48 hours after the league’s unveiling late on Sunday following a furious response from fans and officials.
The three Italian clubs involved, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan, admitted defeat and La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid also pulled out.
Real Madrid and Barcelona have yet to make any comment but the project in its current form is dead in the water.
AC Milan was one of the main drivers behind the plans, having missed out on the Champions League for the past seven seasons.
The seven-time European champions said the change was necessary due to the changing football landscape but admitted they “must be sensitive to the voice of those who love this wonderful sport”.
Italian champions Juventus said they remained “convinced of the soundness of the project’s sport, commercial and legal premises” but accepted it could not go ahead in its original form.
The Super League promised guaranteed entry for its founding clubs and billions of dollars in payments. Most of the clubs have huge debts and wage bills and suffered a sharp drop in revenues during the coronavirus pandemic.
But the project was vehemently opposed across the football spectrum, from fans to players, coaches, politicians and UEFA and FIFA, the European and world football bodies.