"Our position remains unchanged. We want to participate in UEFA competitions and continue to develop European soccer. We are committed to positive cooperation with UEFA and the Premier League clubs." (Manchester United)
The European Court of Justice has ruled in favor of Super League. Super League, the surprise project of the summer of 2021, is back on track. While the league has been welcomed into the fold, it hasn't been without its detractors.
The European Court of Justice said today (June 21), "UEFA and FIFA are abusing their dominant powers, which are supposed to ensure transparency, objectivity, non-discrimination and proportionality. The discretionary nature of clubs must be taken into account and their freedom must not be restricted. This does not mean that the Super League project should be approved unconditionally," he said, adding that it is illegal for UEFA and FIFA to ban clubs from participating in the Super League.
The Super League, the brainchild of Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and American capital in 2021, was a completely different system from FIFA and UEFA. It's a league of the 20 best teams in Europe with no relegation.
The idea was to break free from the money shackles of the UEFA and FIFA fences. The idea was to capture the attention of soccer fans with big matches every round and generate huge broadcasting rights fees. It was an attractive option for financially strapped leagues outside the Premier League.
When Super League was finalized, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool signed up from the Premier League. Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid from the Spanish Primera Liga, and Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan from Italian Serie A.
Of course, there were some who voted against Super League. The German Bundesliga's Bayern Munich and Dortmund and the French Ligue 1's Paris Saint-Germain were not on the Super League bandwagon.
Soccer fans were also against the idea of a Super League. Fans of teams other than those participating in the Super League criticized the league for caving in to capital. UEFA and FIFA strongly disagreed, stating that participation in the Super League would "preclude participation in UEFA-organized and FIFA-organized competitions".
As the case went to the European Court of Justice, most teams began to pull out. All but Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus announced their withdrawal from Super League.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez waited for the ECJ's decision. The ECJ ruled in favor of Super League and against UEFA and FIFA.Perez said: "We are very happy with the European Court of Justice ruling. European football is not a monopoly. It will never be. From today, the clubs will be the masters of their destiny. They have been granted the right to modernize the sport and to propose and promote competitions that will attract fans around the world. We will continue to work for the good of football."
"We made football history 70 years ago with the creation of the European Cup. Now it's time to give European football the new impetus it so desperately needs. We will continue to advocate for a modern project that is fully compatible with domestic competitions. This is a great opportunity for European soccer to evolve. This is an important day in football history and sport."
On the day the UEFA and FIFA rulings were finalized, Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reported that PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord, Benfica, Porto, Zvezda and Anderlecht were among the clubs looking to join the Super League.
Reportedly, the league will not introduce a relegation system, as initially claimed, and will have tiered divisions like the UEFA Champions League-Europa League-Europa Conference. It aims to have 80 teams in total and will guarantee free-to-air coverage for all soccer fans.
In response to the European Court of Justice ruling, UEFA said: "We are determined to defend the European football system to serve modern society. Together with national associations, leagues, clubs, fans, players, coaches, EU institutions, governments and partners, we will continue to develop and create a European model of sport. If the European football system faces the threat of an 'exit', we believe that European and national laws will stand as safeguards."
Statements from Europe's big clubs have been coming in since the Super League victory. So far, they are not in favor of a Super League.토토사이트
Atletico Madrid said, "European football does not want a Super League. Apart from Real Madrid and Barcelona, Germany, France, England, Italy, Spain, etc. are also against it. We need to protect European football and the domestic leagues. We are in favor of each league competing for a place in the UEFA European competition every season."
Manchester United added: "Our position remains unchanged. We want to participate in UEFA competitions and continue to develop European football. We are committed to positive cooperation with UEFA and the Premier League clubs."
Bayern Munich, who were not involved in the creation of Super League from the beginning, said: "Super League is an attack on the European football system. The German Bundesliga is our roots. It is our goal and belief to make them stronger, not weaker. We are also committed to UEFA competitions. We want to make it clear that the door to Super League remains closed for us."