Amid the ongoing resounding opposition, especially from fan groups, leagues, clubs, and players' representatives, it seems that the European Court of Justice's ruling issued last Thursday on the proposed breakaway European Super League project will not be able to alter the football landscape of the Old Continent, at least in the near future.
While the stance issued by both the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and its International counterpart (FIFA) was entirely expected as they are the opposing party in the conflict, the pressure exerted by fans, in particular, and to a lesser degree by players' representatives and the leagues, warns that the Super League project is unlikely to see the light of day anytime soon.
The European Court of Justice ruled on Thursday that the measures taken by FIFA and UEFA to obstruct the creation of the Super League violate European Union laws.
The Court of Justice pointed out that "the rules of FIFA and UEFA, which require any new football project between clubs to be subject to their prior approval – like the Super League – and prevent clubs and players from participating in those competitions, are illegal."
The judgment summary emphasized that it does not necessarily mean that the Super League project must be authorized at this time, but only that FIFA and UEFA are "misusing their position" to dominate the football market.
🚨 Clubs that have publicly REJECTED the new Super League format:
🏴 Manchester United
🏴 Manchester City
🏴 Tottenham
🏴 Chelsea
🏴 Celtic
🇵🇹 Porto
🇪🇸 Sevilla
🇪🇸 Valencia
🇪🇸 Atletico Madrid
🇪🇸 Real Sociedad
🇪🇸 Villarreal
🇩🇪 Bayern
🇩🇪 Dortmund
🇨🇵 PSG
🇨🇵 Monaco
🇮🇹 Inter— European Super League (@superleagueaaHQ) December 21, 2023
Opportunity Equivalence
UEFA quickly responded that the court's decision does not mean endorsing the new competition, adding, "This ruling does not mean approval or endorsement of the so-called European Super League. It highlights the existing deficiency in UEFA's prior authorization framework – a technical aspect that has already been recognized and addressed in June 2022 with the adoption of new rules."
The European association is largely correct in its assessment of the court's decision, as the judgment did not endorse the Super League, acknowledging "the specific context of professional football," the importance of "sporting merit" and "ensuring a certain level of opportunity equivalence." These rules are not applied in the closed championship system with pre-determined participants irrespective of their position in their local leagues.
However, that did not prevent "A22 Sports Management," the company promoting the Super League, from quickly revealing its proposal to organize a men's competition with 64 teams divided into three tiers.
According to its CEO, Bernd Reichart, the company stated that participation in these three tiers would be "on a basis of sporting merit," without any permanent members, and with clubs remaining committed to their domestic leagues.
Except for Spanish clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona, who were foundational in launching the project which initially included 12 clubs when unveiled in April 2021, it is clear who currently supports this plan?
No sooner had the European Court of Justice issued its decision than clubs rushed to support UEFA, which governs the sport on the continent, including those not convinced by the new format of the UEFA Champions League, which will be implemented from next season.
UEFA revealed the new system immediately after the Super League was launched for the first time in April 2021 and faced criticism from several quarters, but there is now a near consensus that the current system of European football under the UEFA umbrella is better than anything promoted by the Super League proponents.
Within hours of Thursday's European Court of Justice judgment on the Super League case, clubs, leagues, stakeholders and fan associations voiced their unanimous support for the principles of the European sports model.
Read the reaction: ⬇️
— UEFA (@UEFA) December 22, 2023
A Unified Front Against the Super League
This unified front against the European Super League project was showcased during a virtual press conference hosted by UEFA on Thursday, which included representatives from the European Club Association, the European Leagues, which includes over a thousand clubs from 31 countries, the players' union (FIFPro), and fan group representatives.
Ronan Evain, the Executive Director of the Football Supporters Europe, stated, "Real Madrid and Barcelona will not save European football, and we should not have to pay the price for their financial mismanagement," adding, "It would be better for everyone if the promoters (of the Super League) surrendered now."
David Terrier, the President of the players' union in Europe (FIFPro Europe), observed that "players have already said unanimously that they are against this."
The project's launch in April 2021 was particularly thwarted due to the opposition of English fans who forced clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham to withdraw from it.
The Premier League, in any case, does not wish to see its major clubs become part of a breakaway continental championship. On Thursday, it said it "is committed to the clear principles of open competition that underpin the success of domestic and international club competitions."
An Opportunity to Improve the Regulations
Earlier this year, the British government published a plan to establish an independent regulatory body for football with powers to prevent clubs from joining breakaway leagues.
The German giant Bayern Munich remains against the idea of the Super League, as is the case with French Paris Saint-Germain, chaired by the Qatari Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is also the head of the European Club Association.
« Paris Saint-Germain absolutely and completely rejects any so-called Super League project, which has been the case since day one and will always remain.
As a proud European institution, PSG supports the principles of the European sports model, the values… pic.twitter.com/firty0A5Cq
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) December 21, 2023
Even Atletico Madrid, which was among the 12 clubs that launched the project, said it is now against that idea.
All this support benefits UEFA and its Slovenian president, Aleksander Ceferin, who mockingly seemed comfortable enough to joke about Real Madrid and Barcelona, saying on Thursday, "I hope their wonderful championship starts with just two teams," adding, "We will not try to stop them – they can create whatever they want."
Ceferin considered the court's decision "an opportunity to improve our regulations" and that "the court accepts UEFA's role as organizer" with "most importantly, it did not agree to the Super League."
The FIFA and UEFA Quake
Jurgen Klopp, the German manager of Liverpool, supported his club's decision to reject the idea of immersing in a breakaway Super League competition, emphasizing at the same time that he is pleased the football authorities were "shaken" by the European Court of Justice.
Liverpool joined 11 clubs, including six from the English league, to establish a new competition named the European Super League in 2021, but the new project quickly collapsed before it could begin.
The Reds, being the six-time champions of Europe, reaffirmed on Friday in a statement responding to the European Court of Justice, "The ECJ ruling does not change Liverpool's previous position regarding the proposed European Super League. We have decided not to participate."
They added, "We will continue to work with other clubs through the European Club Association and participate in UEFA competitions."
Klopp, speaking before a match against league leaders Arsenal on Saturday, said, "I agree 100% with the statement and the position," adding, "But I am happy that we have finally reached some kind of understanding that FIFA, UEFA, and the other bodies cannot just do what they want."
He further stated, "We have to talk about many things in the future, and if we just comply with the decisions they make, like organizing more competitions and playing more games, without being able to express our opinion, it's better that they get shaken a bit."
🎙️ Jürgen Klopp on the Super League: “I agree 100% with the statement and the verdict.
I also like that we get an understanding that UEFA and other FAs can't just do what they want… putting in more games with people having no say in it.
I like that UEFA and more got a bit of a… pic.twitter.com/HNV0xKVu3y
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) December 22, 2023
