•Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Perez
Real Madrid and Super League promoters are seeking more than $4 billion in damages from UEFA, which they accuse of unfairly torpedoing the breakaway competition, a source told our correspondent today.
A Spanish court yesterday dismissed an appeal from UEFA relating to the league, reports AFP.
Proposed in 2021 by 12 elite European clubs, including Real Madrid and Barcelona, the Super League project quickly collapsed due to fierce opposition from English clubs’ fans and threats from UEFA and FIFA.
The European Court of Justice ruled in December 2023 that the ban on the Super League was contrary to European law.
Last year, a Spanish judge said FIFA and UEFA had “prevented free competition” by opposing the Super League, ruling they were practising anti-competitive behaviour and abusing their dominant position.
The court in Madrid yesterday also rejected appeals filed by La Liga and the Spanish football federation.
The project’s promoter A22 Sports Management said it regretted that UEFA has “refused any path of compromise” and “reforms” despite several months of discussions, and claimed to have “no other choice” but “to initiate proceedings to obtain compensation for the damages suffered”.
“After years of legal proceedings, UEFA can no longer ignore binding court decisions,” A22 CEO Bernd Reichart said.
“By abusing their monopoly and preventing new initiatives they have caused substantial damages to numerous clubs, players and other stakeholders across Europe.”
The scope of the court’s decision is uncertain, however, as it tackles regulations that have been completely rewritten.
“This ruling does not validate the abandoned ‘super league’ project announced in 2021, nor does it undermine UEFA’s current authorisation rules, adopted in 2022 and updated in 2024, which remain fully in force,” European football’s governing body said in a statement sent to our correspondent yesterday.
“These rules ensure that any cross-border competitions are assessed on objective, transparent, non-discriminatory and proportionate criteria.”
Real Madrid said they were “delighted” by the ruling, “confirming that UEFA, in the matter of the Super League, seriously infringed the European Union’s free competition rules… by abusing its dominant position”.
“The club announces that it will continue to work for the good of global football and fans, while claiming substantial damages from UEFA,” Real Madrid said in a statement.
