European Super League Gets Boost as EU Court Rules Against UEFA and FIFA

The court's decision does not necessarily approve the Super League, but it does challenge UEFA's and FIFA's rules requiring new interclub competitions to receive prior approval.

• The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that UEFA's and FIFA's rules requiring new interclub competitions to receive prior approval are contrary to EU law, thus acting unlawfully in blocking the formation of the Super League in 2021.
• The ECJ clarified that this decision does not mean that a competition such as the Super League project will necessarily be approved.
• Following the court's decision, A22, the Super League’s sports marketing agency, released their new proposed format of the Super League: a competition with 64 men’s and 32 women’s teams playing midweek matches in a league system across Europe, including annual promotion and relegation.
• Currently, only Real Madrid and Barcelona remain in support of forming such a league among the 12 clubs that initially signed up for the Super League after Juventus decided to withdraw from the project back in June.
• UEFA and FIFA have been criticized for their response to the ruling, with UEFA emphasizing that the ruling does not endorse or validate the Super League, and FIFA reiterating its belief in the specific nature of sport, including the pyramid structure underpinned by sporting merit and the principles of competitive balance and financial solidarity.

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