BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Soccer bodies UEFA and FIFA contravened EU law when they prevented the formation of the European Super League (ESL), the European Court of Justice said on Thursday.
The EU’s top court ruled that FIFA and UEFA abused their dominant position by forbidding clubs outright to compete in a ESL, but added that the competition may still not be approved.
Sports development company A22, formed to assist in the creation of the ESL, had claimed UEFA and global soccer governing body FIFA held a monopoly position which was in breach of the EU’s Competition and Free Movement Law.
“We have won the right to compete. The UEFA-monopoly is over. Football is free,” said A22 CEO Bernd Reichart.
“Clubs are now free from the threat of sanction and free to determine their own futures,” Reichard added in a statement.
(Reporting by Inti Landauro, Bart Meijer and Rohith Nair; Editing by Toby Chopra and Alexander Smith)
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