EU Court Rules in Favor of Football Super League
Nearly three years after its contentious announcement, the Super League—a highly debated football tournament—has been ruled legal by the EU's highest court.
Jamie Bailey
- 2023-12-27
- Updated 01:13 PM ET
(NewsNibs) - In what could be a seismic shift in the footballing world, the Court of Justice of the European Union dealt a blow to UEFA's opposition to the Super League on Thursday, December 21. Stating that UEFA cannot hold a monopoly on football competitions, the court has cleared the path for the creation of the Super League. This decision comes after 12 of the world's largest football clubs announced the idea nearly three years ago, proposing a new and prestigious competition that quickly became polarizing among fans, players, and sporting authorities. The ruling is seen as a victory for the founders of the Super League, who now have their eyes set on starting the competition in 2025.
A Financial Powerhouse
Reports indicate that the Super League founders are gearing up with a substantial budget of 15 billion euros, earmarked for the first three seasons. This positions the Super League to offer twice the budget per season than UEFA’s flagship Champions League. With 5 billion euros at stake annually, the economic implications are significant, with American and European investment funds expected to foot the bill. In a substantial distribution model, 4.6 billion euros will reportedly be shared among participating clubs each season, with the remainder supporting a "solidarity fund."
The Challengers and Opposition
Key promoters of the Super League, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, are poised to join the lineup of interested clubs, which includes PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord Rotterdam, SL Benfica, FC Porto, Crvena Zvezda Belgrade, and Anderlecht Brussels. However, the initiative faces opposition from Polish clubs such as Legia Warsaw and Lech Poznań, as well as from high-profile players like Cristiano Ronaldo. Super League CEO Bernd Reichart has sought to attract fans and alleviate some criticisms by announcing free access to matches on the Unify platform, although ad-free streams and customizable viewing options will be available for a fee.
Constructing the New League
Despite the recent legal victory, the Super League proponents face the immediate challenge of convincing a significant number of clubs to join the ranks. The allure of financial gain, coupled with the promise of a fan-centric viewing experience, are part of the strategic efforts to garner support and establish the Super League as a viable and competitive football tournament. The ensuing developments will be closely watched by stakeholders as the footballing landscape faces potentially transformative changes.
