The European Super League: Legal Implications

In April 2021, the European Super League (ESL), a breakaway competition in football, was announced with twelve top clubs looking to create a closed league structure.

This act caused instant outrage across the whole world, as fans, football officials and even some political leaders, such as Mr. Margaritis Schinas, the vice president of the European Commission, denounced the idea as offending fair competition and also traditional league structures.

The closed nature of the ESL posed a threat to the current basis of the domestic leagues and UEFA competitions. Fan protests broke out all over Europe, forcing a large number of clubs to pull back in less than a week.

Club owners and executives were criticized, with many demands for their resignations. The broad public reaction to the ESL brought into sharp relief just how much power football fans had in keeping the football pure.

However, in late 2023, the Court of Justice of the European Union  (ECJ) argued that FIFA and UEFA broke the law by blocking the super league. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that FIFA and UEFA are “abusing a dominant position” and  «[t]he FIFA and UEFA rules making any new inter-club football project subject to their prior approval, such as the Super League, and prohibiting clubs and players from playing in those competitions, are unlawful,» the court stated.

If you want to know more, explore sports laws with us, at SR Law and Business SA.

Sources:

• Plans for revamped European Super League announced. (202321, December 21). BBC Sport.https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/67787981
• Ltd, A. A. (2023, November 6).European Super League vs UEFA. https://www.lawteacher.net/cases/esl-v-uefa-5725.php
• (2024, January 17). The European Super League case has woken up a sleeping giant.Euronews. https://www.euronews.com/2024/01/17/the-european-super-league-case-has-woken-up-the-sleeping-giant

Photo by Vienna Reyes