Court ‘ruling does not signify an endorsement of super league’: UEFA

UEFA said Thursday’s ruling by Europe’s top court that it and FIFA had broken EU law to stifle the creation of a rival Super League “does not signify an endorsement or validation of” the breakaway competition.

UEFA continued: “It rather underscores a pre-existing shortfall within UEFA’s pre-authorisation framework, a technical aspect that has already been acknowledged and addressed in June 2022.

“UEFA is confident in the robustness of its new rules, and specifically that they comply with all relevant European laws and regulations.”

The ruling by the European Court of Justice was based on UEFA rules prior to the changing of them in 2022.

“The FIFA and UEFA rules making any new interclub football project subject to their prior approval, such as the Super League, and prohibiting clubs and players from playing in those competitions, are unlawful,” the court ruled.

The summary of the written judgment stressed that its ruling does not necessarily mean that the Super League project should now be authorised, just that FIFA and UEFA have been “abusing a dominant position” in the football market.

UEFA said, though, that in liaison with fans — who were the main force against the Super League when it first reared its head in 2021 — and others they were the future for European football club competition.

“UEFA remains resolute in its commitment to uphold the European football pyramid, ensuring that it continues to serve the broader interests of society,” they said.

“We will continue to shape the European sports model collectively with national associations, leagues, clubs, fans, players, coaches, EU institutions, governments and partners alike.

“We trust that the solidarity-based European football pyramid that the fans and all stakeholders have declared as their irreplaceable model will be safeguarded against the threat of breakaways by European and national laws.”

The case goes back to April 2021, when 12 of Europe’s biggest clubs announced they had signed up to the planned Super League, just before UEFA were set to reveal vast reforms to the Champions League.

The Super League was seen as a direct competitor to UEFA’s flagship competition.

It quickly crumbled in the face of a strong backlash from supporters and football’s governing bodies, and UEFA, as well as world governing body FIFA, threatened to take disciplinary action against the clubs involved.

Nine of the 12 clubs involved — including six from the English Premier League — threw in the towel almost immediately, leading to the collapse of the Super League within 48 hours of its launch.

Two years on, only Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona have not stood down from the project, with Juventus withdrawing in July.