by Four of the six English clubs that joined the European Super League two years ago pledged allegiance to Uefa and the old European football order after the break project was unexpectedly backfired by the European court of justice.
Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City – along with a number of other clubs, leagues and organizations – issued statements after a dramatic day that changed the landscape of European football and the Super League relaunched itself with a modified format and the promise of each game streaming for free.
Related: Free to watch, relegation, midweek: how the new football Super League would work
All messages had the same language as that originally published by Manchester United, among Premier League clubs. “Our position has not changed,” United said. “We remain fully committed to participation in Uefa competitions, and to positive collaboration with Uefa, the Premier League, and other clubs through the ECA. [European Club Association] regarding the continued development of the European game.” Arsenal and Liverpool were the other two Premier League clubs to commit to Super League in 2021.
The declarations came after the ruling was handed down from the ECJ’s chambers. The main headline from the court, as reflected in its media release, was: “The rules of Fifa and Uefa regarding the prior approval of interclub football competitions, such as the Super League, are contrary to EU law,” it read. The court, in fact, agreed with the Super League company in its case against Uefa about the way the governing body sought to regulate the authorization of new competitions in European football. The court found that Uefa was “abusing its sovereignty” and said the governing body’s rules on authorization failed to meet requirements that they be “transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate”.
Shortly after the court’s decision, the media company A22 Sports, which managed and developed the Super League concept even after it dropped Barcelona and Real Madrid as referees, announced that it had restarted the competition . A22 CEO Bernd Reichart announced that “football is free” and said the new Super League would expand from 16 clubs to 64 in the men’s game and include 32 teams in the women’s competition. With both divided into sections, there would be promotion and relegation, 20 teams dropping out of the men’s league each year and no permanent place as originally planned. Most notably, all Super League matches would be streamed live for free via an in-house app currently called Unify.
Two hours later the Uefa president held his own press conference. Aleksander Ceferin sat alongside ECA chairman Nasser al-Khelaifi and La Liga’s Javier Tebas to denounce their rivals. “Looking at the presentation of the so-called Super League, it was difficult to decide whether I was surprised or amused,” said Ceferin. “Because it’s close to Christmas I choose to be lost. I hope they start a great competition as soon as possible between two clubs. I hope they know what they’re doing, although I’m not so sure about that.”
Uefa’s official communication also strongly pushed back against interpreting the judgment as a blow to the governing body. They said the ruling did not represent an “endorsement or validation of the so-called “super league”” but addressed a “pre-existing shortcoming” in Uefa’s framework which it said it subsequently rectified in June 2022.
“UEFA is confident of the robustness of its new rules, and specifically that they comply with all relevant European laws and regulations,” a statement read. “UEFA remains resolute in its commitment to stand up to the European football pyramid … We hope that the European football pyramid based on the solidarity declared by the fans and all stakeholders as its irreplaceable model will be defended against a threat those broken by European and national laws. “
Related: The revamped European Super League may be on the wane but the door for change is now open Paul Mac Angus
The torrent provided a statement of support that followed this declaration suggesting that the public, at least so far, is not interested in disrupting the status quo. Real Madrid and Barcelona were the only clubs that came out strongly in favor of the Super League. The president of Madrid, Florentino Pérez, said: “Today will be a day before and after; it’s a great day for the history of football and the history of sport,” he said. Pérez claimed that clubs could now be “masters of their destiny” and that the Super League would give football “the new impetus that is so bad”.
While Uefa’s revised rules are likely to be challenged, particularly by the Super League which continues to pursue a case against the European governing body through the Spanish courts, other competitions have set up their own defences, with including the Premier League. In a statement acknowledging the “significant regulation” the League said it “reaffirms its commitment to the clear principles of open competition which underpin the success of domestic and international competitions.
“Football thrives on the competitiveness created by promotion and relegation, the annual qualification based on merit from domestic leagues and cups to international club competitions and the long-standing competitions and rituals that come when a weekend reserved for domestic football. These principles are enshrined in the Premier League’s owners’ charter, introduced in June 2022, which aims to improve the collective strength and competitiveness of the league for the good of the game as a whole.”
-
Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for ‘The Guardian’.
-
If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the latest version.
-
In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
-
Turn on sports ads.
Speaking on behalf of the players in the England final, the Professional Footballers’ Association said the court ruling highlighted how governing bodies had failed to properly take into account the needs of the game. “They felt they could press on without proper participation or consultation, and often despite concerns or opposition from the leagues, clubs, players and their unions,” he said. “This should act as a wake-up call.”
