Court rules in favor of Super League negotiators against UEFA and FIFA.
A Spanish court has sided with the controversial football Super League's push for legal action against potential sanctions from FIFA and UEFA. The international bodies were accused of trying to prevent fair competition.
This latest legal feat for the Super League comes six months after the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled in their favor. The Spanish Commercial Court in Madrid completely backed the developers of the league around the sports marketing agency A22 against FIFA and UEFA.
The court's decision indicated that FIFA and UEFA had violated their market-dominating position and hindered fair competition, making it necessary for them to "cease their anti-competitive behavior," which was "unjustified and disproportionate."
UEFA's response to the ruling was measured as they stated that they would "review the judgment before deciding whether further measures are needed." However, they did not see it as an outright win for A22.
UEFA emphasized that the court had confirmed the validity of a pre-approval system for third-party competitions in line with UEFA regulations. They also highlighted the acknowledged benefits of such rules for the football system. The court, however, did not fully endorse the Super League.
Tebas, the head of the Spanish professional league who opposes the Super League, clarified the court's ruling. "The judge has asked FIFA and UEFA to ensure that the rules for new competitions are designed and maintained in a transparent manner. She has not given the go-ahead for the Super League or even approved it," he explained.
The lawsuit was brought by the Super League's proponents, who accused UEFA of using illegal means to protect the mighty Champions League since 2021 to prevent their competition, the Super League, from rising.
The launch of the Super League made headlines in 2021 when twelve European top clubs attempted to revolutionize football. However, the project failed almost as quickly as it started. UEFA and FIFA took strong action, threatening the clubs with sanctions. The reaction from leagues, fans, and politics was so negative that most of the clubs quickly reversed their decisions and accepted the UEFA's regulations.
As of now, only Real Madrid and FC Barcelona have remained publicly supportive of the Super League. There are plans for a league system with a total of 64 teams. Alternatively, a league with only 16 teams could be established initially. Germany's leading clubs, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, have openly rejected the idea of a Super League.
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In light of the court's decision, FIFA and UEFA may need to reconsider their approach towards the Super League, given that they were found to be impeding fair competition. Despite UEFA's view that the court validated their pre-approval system for third-party competitions, the Spanish Commercial Court criticized UEFA's actions against the Soccer Super League, which is backed by organizations like FIFA and UEFA's rival, UEFA.
Source: www.ntv.de
