Blow for UEFA, FIFA as European Court of Justice delivers Super League verdict

The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Justice was tasked with determining whether UEFA and FIFA violated competition law by obstructing the creation of the European Super League in 2021 and subsequently attempting to penalize the participating clubs.

The court has ruled that UEFA and FIFA rules granting prior approval for new competitions are contrary to EU law.

 A release issued by the court said such rules were “contrary to competition law and the freedom to provide services”.

The court release added: “There is no framework for the FIFA and UEFA rules ensuring that they are transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate. 

“Similarly, the rules giving FIFA and UEFA exclusive control over the commercial exploitation of the rights related to those competitions are such as to restrict competition, given their importance for the media, consumers and television viewers in the European Union.”