Court delivers major verdict on European Super League
The European Court of Justice has delivered its ruling on the Super League which has handed both UEFA and FIFA a major blow.
The ECJ declared that blocking the formation of the competition is contrary to EU law, potentially paving the way for the competition to be resurrected.
“There is no framework for the FIFA and UEFA rules ensuring that they are transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate,” the court said.
The concept of the Super League was announced in April 2021, but some clubs had to back out of it after UEFA and FIFA threatened them.
An initial 12 clubs, the Premier League’s Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. La Liga’s Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid and Serie A’s AC Milan, Inter and Juventus signed up as members of the breakaway Super League in a move that stunned the footballing world.
Nevertheless, clubs like Manchester United, Sevilla, Bayern Munich, Valencia and Atletico Madrid have officially rejected the Super League.
Will Super League replace the UEFA Champions League in near future?
This announcement has stunned the footballing world as neither UEFA nor FIFA can stop clubs from participating in the tournament.
Moreover, this could also mean that the Super League project can also replace the UEFA Champions League.
Bernd Reichart, A22 Sports CEO said: “We have won the right to compete. The UEFA monopoly is over. Football is free. The clubs no longer have to fear sanctions and can now determine their own future.”
UEFA’s statement on the Super League
“This ruling does not signify an endorsement or validation of the so-called ‘Super League,'” UEFA said. “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.”
European Super League format announced
The competition will feature three tiers: the Star League, the Gold League (both with 16 clubs each), and the Blue League (comprising 32 clubs). Moreover, participation is based on sporting merit, and there are no permanent members in the league.
There will be annual promotion and relegation between leagues. However, promotion to the third-tier Blue League is contingent on domestic league performance.
Clubs will engage in home and away matches organised in groups of eight, ensuring a minimum of 14 matches per year. At the end of the season, a knockout stage will determine champions for each league and clubs to be promoted.
The ESL will also have a women’s competition with two leagues of 16 clubs each.
