MADRID — While trying to at least keep the idea of the Super League alive, more of the founding members of the controversial breakaway competition abandoned the project on Wednesday.

The moves by Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Atlético Madrid came a day after the six Premier League clubs involved in the new competition made it unviable by dropping out, leaving Spanish powerhouses Real Madrid and Barcelona as the only teams still officially in it.

While some English clubs apologized to their fans while pulling back Tuesday, the teams that dropped out on Wednesday admitted defeat but tried to show they still believe in the project.

“While Juventus remains convinced of the soundness of the project’s sport, commercial and legal premises, it believes that at present there are limited chances that the project be completed in the form originally conceived,” the Italian club said. “Juventus remains committed to pursuing the creation of long-term value for the Company and the entire football industry.”

English clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham previously deserted plans for the largely-closed competition amid escalating backlash from their supporters and warnings from the government that legislation could be introduced to thwart them.

Still, AC Milan said the “voices and the concerns of fans around the world have clearly been expressed” but the club “will continue to work hard to deliver a sustainable model” for soccer.

“We accepted the invitation to participate in the Super League project with the genuine intention to deliver the best possible European competition for football fans around the world and in the best interest of the club and our own fans,” the Italian club said. “Change is not always easy, but evolution is necessary for progress, and the structures of European football have evolved and changed over the decades.”

Inter said the club was committed to delivering the best soccer experience for fans because “innovation and inclusion have been part of our DNA since our foundation.”

“Our commitment with all stakeholders to improve the football industry will never change,” it said. “Inter believe that football must have an interest in constantly improving its competitions in order to continue to excite fans of all ages all over the world, within a framework of financial sustainability.”

The Super League project was overseen by Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, who promoted it as a way to “save soccer” and the clubs struggling financially amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Neither Madrid nor Barcelona commented after the rest of the clubs abandoned the project. There was some internal pressure on the Catalan club, however, after outspoken captain Gerard Piqué made his view clear.

“Football belongs to the fans. Today more than ever,” he wrote on Twitter early Wednesday.

On Monday, UEFA threatened to ban players from the participating teams from playing in this year’s European Championship and next year’s World Cup. But a Madrid court later issued a preliminary ruling stopping UEFA, FIFA and its members from acting against the creation of the new league.

The Super League was intended to be a 20-team competition with 15 founding members guaranteed a spot every season and five other teams rotating in and out. The lack of relegation for the founding members raised concerns about the consequences for smaller clubs in the domestic leagues around the continent.

AP writer Daniella Matar contributed to this report.