The European Court of Justice has declared that UEFA and FIFA violated competition law by obstructing the establishment of the European Super League in 2021.

In essence, the court has delivered a setback to UEFA and FIFA in their attempts to thwart the European Super League, while the future of football hangs in the balance.

“The FIFA and UEFA rules on prior approval of interclub football competitions, such as the Super League, are contrary to EU law,” stated the Court of Justice.

The introduction of the Super League in April 2021 led to significant protests from fans, clubs, and government institutions.

Faced with extensive public criticism, the six Premier League teams involved—Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Arsenal—withdrew from the project, prompting others to follow suit.

The court additionally asserted that the two football organizations were “abusing a dominant position” when they cracked down on the competing league, as their rules lacked transparency, objectivity, non-discrimination, and proportionality.

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In its ruling, the court emphasized that the orchestration of interclub football competitions and the utilization of media rights distinctly qualify as economic activities.

The court also noted the concurrent role of FIFA and UEFA in organizing football competitions, underscoring the need for adherence to established rules and principles within these organizational activities.

“They must therefore comply with the competition rules and respect the freedoms of movement, even though the economic pursuit of sport has certain specific characteristics, such as the existence of associations having certain regulatory and control powers and the power to impose sanctions,” added the Europeam Court of Justice.