Football’s governing bodies UEFA and FIFA broke EU competition rules by attempting to block the breakaway Super League, the European Union’s top court ruled.
“The FIFA and UEFA rules on prior approval of interclub football competitions, such as the Super League, are contrary to EU law,” the Court of Justice said in a statement, adding that they breached EU competition law and the freedom to provide services.
The two football organizations were “abusing a dominant position” when they cracked down on the competing league as their rules weren’t “transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate,” the court said.
Judges are giving their advice on EU law to a Madrid court which will rule on the final details of the Super League legal challenge backed by Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
A dozen of Europe’s leading football clubs set up the Super League in April 2021 but the project collapsed after several clubs pulled out following two days of vociferous opposition from fans, high-profile players and coaches, other clubs and politicians.
The Court separately backed a European Commission finding that the International Skating Union was wrong to have stopped two skaters from participating in rival tournaments.
Judges also found in favor of the Royal Antwerp Football Club’s bid to overturn UEFA rules saying that team spots be reserved for locally trained players.
The rule “may give rise to indirect discrimination” against players from other EU states, said the court but UEFA could still show that the rules were proportionate in encouraging recruitment and training. Again, judges’ recommendations will inform a final ruling from a Brussels court.
The cases are C-333/21 European Superleague Company, C-124/21 P International Skating Union and C-680/21 Royal Antwerp Football Club.