ECJ decision on Super League

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

For those interested in such things it’s an interesting read and incredibly damning of UEFA and FIFA and their lack of transparency and accountability. Some interesting competition law comments on it.


Suspect Man City’s and Everton’s lawyers will be pouring over it to see if those points will fly against the PL.

[alfinyalcabo]

Fingers crossed that all the phookin money clubs rejoin.

[WTF11]

Given that FIFA and UEFA were instrumental in squashing the ESL when it was proposed, I'd say they did football in general a favour. For the EU to now determine that doing so was "anti-competitive" speaks volumes for just how much that entity is prepared to interfere in matters where there is no real justification. Sure, they (FIFA and particularly UEFA) were acting to protect their commercial interests, and is that surprising? Don't just about all governing bodies of all sports where there are serious commercial interests related to broadcasting rights seek to protect those interests?

The EU ruling opens the door for a revamped (and expanded) ESL to be put forward, with many of the issues that prompted the furious reactions of fans up and down the country last time remaining unresolved, including elements of the "no relegation or promotion" situation, despite moves by the ESL promoters to assuage concerns in that area.

Look forward to half the PL being invited to join, as opposed to just the "phookin money clubs" Alf refers to, and the destruction of the most commercially attractive league in the world (not my opinion, fact), which we aspire to rejoin (if it still exists).

[spaldy]

nothing good comes of that.

Indy car is a great example of what happens when you split up a sports league. Never really has recovered.

[norfolk white]

Surely with how the champions league has expanded over the years, originally being the European cup which was much harder to win, we pretty much already have a European super league, running alongside the premier league, and devaluations the fa cup and league cup.

[WTF11]

Surely with how the champions league has expanded over the years, originally being the European cup which was much harder to win, we pretty much already have a European super league, running alongside the premier league, and devaluations the fa cup and league cup.

"We" already do as you say, but UEFA who fashioned the Champions League take a vast chunk of the broadcast rights revenue. The proponents of the ESL asset that more if that money would go to the clubs, as neither FIFA nor more particularly UEFA, would have any claim on such revenue.

The ECJ ruling is purely one that relates to the "abuse" of the dominant position that FIFA and UEFA occupy and how they used it to remove a competitor, nothing to do with whether they also acted to safeguard the footballing structures across Europe that have created the most competitive and commercially attractive leagues in the world, but that's the ECJ for you.