Football: ECJ ruling paves the way for Super League
A Victory for the promoters of a future Super Leagueof European top clubs: The European Court of Justice ruled on Thursday that the major football associations FIFA and UEFA cannot prohibit clubs and players from participating in rival tournaments. It is clear that this shifts the balance of power in football. But is this good news?
The end of the dictatorship
For De Telegraaf, whether a Super League actually comes about is not what really matters here:
“From 21 December 2023, the major football associations will be on the club's leash rather than the other way round. And the money flows that are ultimately at stake will follow the same path. This is a good development, because dictatorship of Uefa and Fifa knew no bounds, and nor did their arrogance. ... The court has broken Uefa and Fifa's position of power. The era of Sun King-like behaviour from false figures like [UEFA President] Čeferin and [FIFA President] Infantino is over.”
More power for the wealthy clubs
For the Süddeutsche Zeitung, on the other hand, privileged entities are already benefiting:
“What managers and investors advancing such projects really need is clubs and players that are willing to participate in such a league. ... It's telling that the managers of A22, the company behind the Super League, presented no binding commitments from clubs after the verdict was delivered. ... But it's also clear: the ruling shifts power within European football further in favour of the big clubs. And in recent years the major clubs have already frequently used the threat of a Super League to secure even more advantages, primarily financial, within the existing system.”