The Provincial Court of Madrid upheld a ruling against UEFA, the RFEF, and La Liga for anti-competitive behavior regarding the Super League, prompting Real Madrid to seek substantial damages.
A ruling from the Provincial Court of Madrid upheld a decision that found Uefa, the Spanish football federation (RFEF), and La Liga were practising anti-competitive behaviour by banning clubs from joining the breakaway league.
Real Madrid stated the ruling “paves the way for the club to claim substantial damages from Uefa,” though European football’s governing body insisted the judgement “does not validate” the Super League project.
Real Madrid Vows to Seek Damages After Uefa Loses Super League Appeal
Real Madrid will seek “substantial damages” from Uefa after European football’s governing body lost its appeal in a Madrid court over the failed European Super League (ESL) project.
A ruling on Wednesday from the Provincial Court of Madrid upheld a prior decision from May 2024. That earlier decision found Uefa, the Spanish football federation (RFEF), and La Liga were practicing anti-competitive behaviour and abusing their dominant position by banning clubs from joining the breakaway competition.
The ruling is the latest legal blow to Uefa, following a separate judgement in December 2023 by the European Court of Justice (CJEU) that found banning clubs from joining an alternative league was unlawful.
In a strong statement, the 15-time European champions welcomed the decision. Real Madrid stated: “Real Madrid welcomes the decision by the regional court of Madrid to dismiss the appeals lodged by Uefa, the RFEF and La Liga, confirming that UEFA, in the matter of the Super League, seriously infringed European Union competition rules in line with the CJEU ruling, abusing its dominant position.” The club added that “This ruling paves the way for the club to claim substantial damages from Uefa.”
Uefa, however, downplayed the significance of the ruling in its response, stating that the latest judgement “does not validate” the Super League project, “nor does it undermine Uefa’s current authorisation rules.”
The governing body added it will continue to “safeguard the unity of European football” and is “firmly committed to the European sports model, built on sporting merit, open access, solidarity and the protection of the football pyramid.”
La Liga, one of the three losing parties, respected the ruling but reiterated its opposition to the ESL. Its president, Javier Tebas, insisted:
“This ruling does not in any way represent an endorsement of the Super League or any other format. It merely reiterates that regulations must be applied with transparency and objectivity.”
Despite the legal victory for Real Madrid, BBC Football issues correspondent Dale Johnson noted that the decision is unlikely to revive the ESL project, which folded in 2021 just 72 hours after its launch following widespread fury and condemnation from fans and governments.
Johnson’s analysis concluded: “The truth lies somewhere in between. Uefa has lost a number of court battles which have ruled the old regulations were unlawful, including at the European Court of Justice. Wednesday’s decision rubberstamps that once again, but doesn’t change the fact the European Super League is dead in the water, and was always likely to be.”