Soccer - UEFA loses before ECJ in Super League dispute
UEFA has suffered a defeat before the highest European court in the dispute over the establishment of a Super League in soccer.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg ruled that the major soccer associations FIFA and UEFA may not make other competitions dependent on their approval and may not prohibit clubs and players from participating in these competitions. However, this does not necessarily mean that the Super League must be approved, according to the judges.
There is no framework for the rules of the associations that ensures that the requirements are transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate. The rules granting FIFA and UEFA exclusive control over the commercial exploitation of competition rights would also restrict competition in the EU, according to the ruling. FIFA and UEFA were abusing their dominant market position.
"The UEFA monopoly is over"
The initiators of the Super League immediately celebrated the ruling as a major victory. "The UEFA monopoly is over," said former RTL manager Bernd Reichart, who represents the project for the A22 agency. UEFA did not comment initially.
This was preceded by a two-and-a-half-year dispute. Twelve top European clubs had already rehearsed the big revolution in 2021. The clubs around Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Juventus Turin announced their intention to establish a Super League to compete with the established Champions League. The outcry from leagues, fans and politicians was fierce - the project was a resounding failure. UEFA threatened to exclude players from all competitions, and players involved were no longer allowed to take part in the World and European Championships. The English teams, among others, quickly withdrew and the Super League was off the table - for the time being. But Real and Barcelona in particular did not let up.
The European Superleague Company then filed a lawsuit in a Madrid court, accusing UEFA and FIFA of acting as a cartel because they opposed the creation of the Super League. The soccer associations were therefore abusing their dominant position on the market for soccer competitions. The ECJ has now largely agreed with this.
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- The ruling by the EU's highest court in Luxembourg is expected to have significant implications for the international soccer scene, potentially challenging the monopoly of organizations like UEFA and FIFA.
- Despite the ECJ's judgments, whether the Super League itself will gain approval remains uncertain, as the court did not mandate its approval.
- The Super League dispute has been a contentious issue in Europe for over two years, involving twelve top European clubs, including Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Juventus Turin, who sought to compete with the UEFA-backed Champions League.
- The ECJ's judgments not only questioned UEFA's and FIFA's authority to prohibit clubs and players from participating in alternative competitions but also criticized their exclusive control over the commercial exploitation of competition rights in Europe.
- The EU's competition regulators might now take further action against UEFA and FIFA, as their market domination in European soccer competitions could lead to antitrust violations, according to the ECJ's judgments.
Source: www.stern.de
