Soccer’s Super League revived by top European court ruling against FIFA and UEFA

Brussels: Super League was revived on Thursday after the European Union’s top court ruled UEFA and FIFA defied competition law by blocking the breakaway project.

The ruling was praised by Real Madrid which, along with Barcelona, is leading the fight to form a rival competition to the Champions League.

“It has been fully recognized that the clubs have the right to propose and promote European competitions that modernize our sport and attract fans from all over the world,” Madrid president Florentino Pérez said. “Today, a Europe of freedoms has triumphed, and also football and its fans have triumphed.”

However, it was a backlash by fans especially in England and Germany against the original project in April 2021 that helped to stop Super League within 48 hours, and no new clubs immediately came forward on Thursday to support Perez’s vision.

The case was heard last year at the European Court of Justice after Super League failed at launch more than two years ago. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin called the club leaders then “snakes” and “liars.”

The company formed by 12 rebel clubs — now led by only Real Madrid and Barcelona after Juventus withdrew this year — started legal action and the court was asked to rule on points of EU law by a Madrid tribunal.

“We have won the right to compete. The UEFA monopoly is over. Football is free,” said Bernd Reichart, the CEO of A22 Sports Management that promotes Super League. “Clubs are now free from the threat of sanctions and free to determine their own futures.”

Madrid-based A22 immediately announced new proposed competitions for men and women, saying young fans are “turning away” from soccer.

In a presentation streamed on YouTube, Reichart said there would be no permanent members of the new competition and they would remain committed to their domestic leagues. The league and knockout competition would also be played midweek so as not to impact domestic leagues.

The clubs accused UEFA of breaching European law by allegedly abusing its market dominance of soccer competitions.