Uefa president compares Super League ruling to an empty Christmas gift
The TelegraphDec 21, 2023
Court Rules UEFA, FIFA Unlawfully Blocked European Super League
The Facts
The European Court of Justice has found that the soccer's world and European governing bodies, FIFA and UEFA, have abused their dominant position to prevent clubs from joining the breakaway European Super League (ESL).
The case had been referred from a commercial court in Madrid to the court in Luxembourg to decide if the governing bodies' rules for new competitions were in line with EU competition law. Last December, a non-binding report from Advocate General Athanasios Rantos concluded that the rules were compatible with the law.
The Spin
Narrative A
It's utterly unwise for Super League plotters to celebrate this verdict as a victory, given that nothing has changed at all. First and foremost, the ESL still has to be approved under the yet-to-be-improved regulations. Only then would Barcelona and Real Madrid be able to start their flop two-club competition.
Narrative B
While it's unlikely that the new Super League model will entice other European giants to join Barcelona and Real Madrid after reducing their financial incentives, this ruling has undisputedly opened the door for breakaway competitions to establish themselves in European soccer. The monopoly of FIFA and UEFA is finally under threat.
Nerd narrative
There's a 22% chance that there will be a breakaway European Soccer League match before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.