The Spanish magistrates warned the main football governing bodies not to interfere in the preparations for the European Super League in which some of the best clubs participate.
United Nations Madrid court granted an earlier order for FIFA and UEFA not to carry out their threats to sanction the teams and players that participate in the project, according to the ruling of January 30, to which Bloomberg News had access. This conduct by FIFA and UEFA is “particularly serious” as they are organizations that “hold a monopoly” in the soccer market and abuse their dominant position to block a potential competitor, the judges said.
Strong rejection of fans and technical directors to the European Super League
The super league projectin which six teams from England, three from Italy and three from Spain initially participated, fell apart in 2021, just a few days after its creation, after the commotion it caused among public opinion, as well as threats from FIFA, the organizer of the World Cup, and its European counterpart, UEFA, that any participating player or club would be expelled from his powers. The collapse was inevitable after all the English clubs involved withdrew from the project, followed by Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan and AC Milan.
In October, A22 Sports Management, the company responsible for the new tournament, hired Bernd Reichart as its new CEO, in an effort to revamp it and overcome opposition from fans.
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“obstructive measures”
Reichart said the court decision “allows A22 to freely continue the project of creating a new and exciting European football competition.”
“It confirms that UEFA’s monopoly position cannot be used to pressure or threaten clubs, players or companies willing to innovate and invigorate competition in professional football,” Reichart said. “Therefore, we will continue our dialogue with football stakeholders in a new and more appropriate environment, free from threats and other obstructive measures taken by UEFA and other bodies.”
The twine or the essence
Although the The position of the Spanish court is an accolade for the super league, its judges will have to wait for the ruling of the highest court of the European Union, based in Luxembourg, before making a final decision. An EU court adviser sided with UEFA and FIFA in a preliminary ruling issued in December.
The European Super League “is free to create its own independent football competition”but the teams cannot at the same time “continue to participate in the football competitions organized by FIFA and UEFA without the prior authorization of said federations”, declared the general counsel of the EU Court, Athanasios Rantos, at the time.
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