– A Spanish judge ruled that FIFA and UEFA, the governing organizations of soccer, were abusing their dominating position and engaging in anticompetitive behavior by opposing the European Super League (ESL), a parallel European league.
According to a Monday court statement, Judge Sofia Gil Garcia declared that the governing bodies’ decision to prohibit teams from competing in a proposed new professional soccer league was illegal under EU law.
Gil Garcia’s verdict mandated that FIFA and UEFA promptly undo any previous instances of anticompetitive behavior.
The sports development company A22 Sports Management filed the lawsuit against the Spanish Soccer Federation, La Liga, UEFA, FIFA, and Spain, the entities that had prevented the creation of the ESL.
A22 CEO Bernd Reichart declared in a statement following the decision that “the era of the monopoly is now definitively over,” describing it as “an important step towards a truly competitive and sustainable club football landscape in Europe.”
UEFA has hindered innovation for decades, Reichart continued, and teams “should not have to fear threats of sanctions simply for having ideas and conversations.”
Gil Garcia’s decision came after the European Court of Justice’s December finding in a similar case.
La Liga and UEFA both maintained that the decision did not expressly endorse the formation of the Super League.
“The judgment does not give third parties the right to develop competitions without authorisation and does not concern any future project or indeed any modified version of an existing project,” a statement from UEFA said.
Nine of the top 12 clubs in Europe pulled out of the proposed breakaway league in 2021 as a result of huge fan protests and UEFA penalty threats.
FIFA and UEFA, according to A22, had a monopolistic position that violated the EU’s laws governing free movement and competition.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) decided against FIFA and UEFA, but it made no mention of whether the ESL could proceed.
In April 2021, the idea was revealed by Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, and nine other elite European clubs.
But when a public outcry caused the withdrawal of Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Atletico Madrid, the move fell through in less than 48 hours.
