European Super League (ESL) supremos on Thursday hailed top European judges who declared that Uefa and Fifa – the European and world game's governing bodies – had flouted competition laws during their campaign in April 2021 to prevent a breakaway football competition.
Twelve European clubs, including Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Manchester City, proposed forming the ESL.
But they eventually withdrew after protests from their supporters and threats of Uefa sanctions.
Sports development company A22 – formed to assist with creating the ESL – claimed in court that Uefa and Fifa held a monopoly position which was in breach of the EU's competition and free movement law.
In its ruling, the European Court of Justice in Brussels said that Fifa and Uefa abused their dominant position by forbidding clubs to compete in a super league.
They added that the judgement did not necessarily mean such a league must be approved.
'Right to compete'
Soon after the verdict, A22 released plans for a new competition that would feature 64 men's teams and 32 women's teams competing in a midweek league.
"We have won the right to compete," said Bernd Reichart, A22 boss.
"European club football is free. The near-70-year Uefa monopoly is finally over, and the court’s decision has far-ranging and positive consequences for football.
"We will continue working with clubs, leagues and other stakeholders without fear of sanctions to create the best and most fan-centric football competitions in Europe."
Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, who has been one of the most vocal supporters of the ESL, said: “It has been fully recognised that the clubs have the right to propose and promote European competitions that modernise our sport and attract fans from all over the world.
"Today a Europe of freedoms has triumphed, and also football and its fans have triumphed."
Clubs stick with Uefa
But the ESL may struggle to enlist other prestigious names in the continental game.
Manchester United, one of the planet's most storied clubs, said they remain committed to playing in Uefa competitions. German champions Bayern Munich said they too would stay in Uefa competitions.
"The Bundesliga is the foundation of FC Bayern, just as all national leagues are the foundation of other European football clubs," Bayern CEO Jan Christian Dreesen said.
"It is therefore our duty and our deep conviction to strengthen them, not to weaken them. We are also committed to the European club competitions under the umbrella of Uefa."
The German Football League also backed the status quo, as did France's Ligue de Football Professionnel, which organises Ligue 1.
“Nothing can replace the legitimacy, credibility and prestige of European competitions as they have been organised for over 60 years," said LFP boss Vincent Labrune.
"We are very attached to the principles of sporting merit which must govern the organisation of our sport.
If soccer is today the world’s greatest sport, it is precisely because it has created the basis for simple, clear and transparent competitions. Nothing can stand in the way of this intangible principle, which is to give everyone the right to 'dream' and reach the top of the sporting pyramid."
European football model
The European Club Association (ECA), which represents nearly 500 clubs across the continent, said the football world had moved on from the Super League years ago.
"Through ECA, clubs today are already at the heart of decision-making in relation to the competitions they participate in," the ECA said. "Most importantly, football is a social contract not a legal contract.
"All the recognised stakeholders ... spanning confederations, federations, clubs, leagues, players and fans stand more united than ever against the attempts by a few individuals pursuing personal agendas to undermine the very foundations and basic principles of European football."
Bolstered by the wave of support, Uefa's executives claimed the organisation was serving the broadest interests of society.
"We will continue to shape the European sports model collectively with national associations, leagues, clubs, fans, players, coaches, EU institutions, governments and partners alike," it said in a statement.
"We trust that the solidarity-based European football pyramid that the fans and all stakeholders have declared as their irreplaceable model will be safeguarded against the threat of breakaways by European and national laws."
