The European Super League, which has been out of the public eye for a long time, came back into the spotlight last week after a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union. On December 21, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled in the case of UEFA and FIFA involving a monopoly on European football, in violation of EU antitrust law that UEFA and FIFA require prior approval for football matches between clubs, and that the two organizations have no power to penalize clubs that participate in other competitions. Although the European Court of Justice has legally affirmed the European Super League, this does not mean that it will be resurrected.
The Court of Justice of the European Union found that the two major football confederations intended to restrict competition
Turning the clock back to April 18, 2021, the 12 giants of European football (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham) jointly announced the establishment of the European Super League. It's like a bombshell thrown into the world of football, and it's jaw-dropping. It has the endorsement of major giants in European football, the financial support of well-known investment banks in the United States, and the income far exceeding the Champions League...... The European Super League looks like it's going to be on the verge of debut.
However, after the high-profile announcement of the birth of this competition, what awaits it is the fiercest and most unanimous criticism in the history of modern football. UEFA and FIFA issued stern statements that may impose sanctions, football associations across Europe, major leagues, and most fan organizations have expressed strong opposition, and under the pressure of unprecedented public opinion, six Premier League clubs immediately withdrew from the European Super League, and Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan and other teams have also announced their withdrawal, resulting in the European Super League being stillborn within 48 hours after the announcement of its birth. Liverpool legend Carragher joked on social media: "Born on April 18, 2021, died on April 20, 2021. ”
With Juventus announcing its complete withdrawal from the European Super League plan in July this year, only two clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona, are now left to stick to it. A22 Sport, the operator of the European Super League, has since taken FIFA and UEFA to the Spanish Economic Court, arguing that their actions violated EU law. The Spanish Economic Court in turn referred the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union, which ultimately rendered its verdict.
The Court of Justice of the European Union said in official documents that it was illegal for UEFA and FIFA to declare that any football competition initiated between clubs, including the UEFA Super League, would require their prior approval before it could be implemented. This is because FIFA and UEFA do not have a framework that can justify the transparency, objectivity, non-discrimination and appropriateness of these rules. The Court of Justice of the European Union held that such a provision was intended to restrict competition.
Commenting on the CJEU decision, Real Madrid President Florentino, the main promoter of the European Super League plan, said: "Football and fans have won. And Barcelona FC said: "This verdict paves the way for a new top-level football competition in Europe. A22 Sports' CEO Lechhardt even announced in a high-profile manner: "We have won the right to compete, and UEFA's nearly 70-year monopoly is over." ”
The situation in the European Super League is even more difficult than it was two years ago
Immediately after the verdict was announced, the UEFA Super League unveiled a new format – from a previously much-criticized closed format with only the big clubs to a semi-open format with more participants. The new UEFA Super League will feature 64 clubs in the 'Star League' (16), 'Golden League' (16) and 'Blue League' (32') divisions, with promotion and relegation each season, with qualification for the Blue League being determined based on domestic league results. Clearly, the European Super League has learned the lessons of the defections of two years ago, hoping to attract the support of clubs in more regions by expanding the number of members involved in the pie.
Two years ago, it was not only UEFA and FIFA that opposed the European Super League, but the entire world football scene, and even the football legends, ordinary people and political leaders of the regions where the clubs involved were located. French President Emmanuel Macron has publicly stated that the European Super League will threaten the unity of football and the virtues of football. In fact, the verdict has not changed the extremely bad external public opinion environment faced by the European Super League.
The European Super League is even more difficult now than it was two years ago. Except for Real Madrid and Barcelona, other giants are no longer obsessed with the European Super League. Up to now, the first 12 teams to join Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur have once again publicly expressed their opposition to joining the European Super League, except for Real Madrid and Barcelona, the rest of the clubs involved were strongly opposed by their fans and local public opinion, and no one wants to wade into this troubled water. Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and other giants who were not in the first batch of members of the European Super League are resolutely standing on the opposite side of the European Super League.
The English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga officials directly issued a "must-kill order" - as long as they participate in the European Super League, they will be expelled from their home leagues. The British government has been preparing legislation to pass legal provisions to strictly prohibit domestic clubs from participating in the European Super League, the United Kingdom has left the European Union, is not governed by EU law, and the loss of Premier League clubs is a heavy blow to the European Super League.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: "The utmost respect to the European Court of Justice, but in reality the verdict does not really change anything. The New York Times believes that UEFA and FIFA leaders are currently trying to resist reforms aimed at curbing their power. The decision on the UEFA Super League is a denunciation of the way the world is managed in football, and a wake-up call for UEFA and FIFA.
If future investors learn from the lessons of the European Super League and come up with more diversified competition plans, it is not impossible to seek a piece of the European commercial football pie. But this assumption does not apply to the European Super League itself. From the beginning of its brewing, the European Super League is a redistribution of interests driven by American capital. This plan only takes into account the gains and losses of the big clubs at the top of the pyramid, completely ignoring the towers and bases of European football and even world football, and even if it is expanded to 64 teams envisaged in the new format, it is far from enough to cover thousands of small and medium-sized clubs throughout Europe.
The European Super League is strongly opposed by the vast majority of European football practitioners and related people, precisely because of this "original sin" that cannot be washed away. The CJEU decision recognizes the legitimacy of the European Super League, but it cannot change the fact that it is stillborn.