The European Court of Justice has ruled that Banning clubs from joining a European Super League was unlawful.
The Court also said and Uefa and Fifa are abusing a dominant position
However the court stated: “That does not mean that a competition such as the Super League project must necessarily be approved”.
An initial report released last December by the ECJ said the rules of football’s European and world governing bodies were “compatible with EU competition law”.
However, the verdict will be seen as a blow to the authority of Uefa and Fifa and how they govern the game.
The report said that when new competitions are “potentially entering the market” Fifa and Uefa must ensure their powers are “transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate”.
The ESL saga began in April 2021 when news broke that 12 teams – including English teams Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham – had signed up to the breakaway competition.
There was widespread anger and condemnation from fans, other European leagues and even government, leading to the collapse of the plans within 72 hours.
The six Premier League clubs plus Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and AC Milan were fined by Uefa, but action against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus was halted during the legal process, although Juventus signalled their intention to quit the project in July.
The ESL has not been scrapped completely, however, with Real Madrid and Barcelona remaining interested in pursuing the venture.
