The European Court of Justice ruled on Thursday that actions taken by football governing bodies UEFA and FIFA to obstruct the establishment of a rival Super League violated EU law.
The court stated, “The FIFA and UEFA rules, which require prior approval for any new interclub football project like the Super League and prohibit clubs and players from participating in such competitions, are deemed unlawful.”
The summary of the written judgment clarified that while the ruling does not automatically authorize the Super League project, it underscores that FIFA and UEFA are “abusing a dominant position” in the football market.
A22 Sports, the company championing the Super League project, claimed a victory in the legal battle. Bernd Reichart, the CEO of A22 Sports, declared on social media, “We have won the right to compete. The UEFA monopoly is over. Football is free.”
The initial 12 clubs, including Premier League’s Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur, LaLiga’s Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Real Madrid, and Serie A’s AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Juventus, had joined the breakaway Super League in a surprising move on April 18, 2021.
The inception of the project, spearheaded by Real Madrid’s Florentino Perez and Juventus’ Andrea Agnelli, stemmed from dissatisfaction with UEFA’s predominant role as Champions League organizers, coupled with discontent over the competition’s format and revenue distribution model.