Banning clubs from joining a European Super League was unlawful and Uefa and Fifa are “abusing a dominant position”, the European Court of Justice has said, the BBC reports.
It comes after a case was brought by the ESL and its backers claiming Uefa and Fifa were breaking competition law by threatening to sanction those who joined the breakaway league.
The European Union’s highest court found against the governing bodies.
It added that did not mean a breakaway league would “necessarily be approved”.
On a hugely significant day for European football:
- Uefa said it was “confident in the robustness” of rules
- ESL backers A22 released revamped proposals
- Real Madrid said clubs were “masters of their own destiny”
- La Liga referred to the ESL as a “selfish and elitist model”
An initial report released last December by the ECJ said the rules of football’s European and world governing bodies were “compatible with EU competition law”.
The verdict will be seen as a blow to the authority of Uefa and Fifa and how they govern the game.
