₦airaland Forum

"Football remains united. This press conference involving all stakeholders speaking together is evidence of that. We have national governments and institutions behind us.

"There is a stark contrast between the press statement and the judgement. The judgement is actually positive as it embraces the key features of the European football pyramid: open competitions, sporting merit, and solidarity.

"The ECJ has certainly not given green light nor approved project like the so-called Super League. We welcome the clarity that the ECJ has delivered today including an endorsement of pre-authorisation system and UEFA’s dual role as organising and authorising body.

"We became aware that our authorisation system was imperfect, we started to work on that in 2021 and concluded in 2022 with the decision of the UEFA Executive Committee. We are confident that our rules are fully in line with the ECJ judgement. That said we will of course review further after reading the decision in detail and see if we need to implement further changes.

"It is important to stress that the ECJ has endorsed the European sports model, based on sporting merit which can be guaranteed only if all teams enjoy a certain level of equal opportunity. It is also important to note that clubs from many countries – such as England, Germany and France – are prevented from joining a project which is outside the system.

"Of course, UEFA is free to organise its own competitions and exclusively sell the commercial rights. So any competition must fit within the system and comply with our new authorisation rules, and among other requirements must respect sporting merit, the international calendar, and solidarity. Those rules also protect UEFA’s club competitions.

"Football remains united as you see today, well protected from breakaway leagues. Football is not for sale, we showed that many times as stakeholders together. Nothing can change that."

-Alexsander Ceferin (UEFA President)

The Premier League notes today’s judgment in the European Court of Justice case involving the "European Superleague Company", FIFA and UEFA. This is a significant ruling and we will now fully examine its implications for the game.

The ruling does not endorse the so-called "European Super League" and the Premier League continues to reject any such concept. Supporters are of vital importance to the game and they have time and again made clear their opposition to a "breakaway" competition that severs the link between domestic and European football.

The Premier League reiterates its commitment to the clear principles of open competition that underpin the success of domestic and international club competitions.

Football thrives on the competitiveness created by promotion and relegation, the annual merit-based qualification from domestic leagues and cups to international club competitions and the longstanding rivalries and rituals that come with weekends being reserved for domestic football.

These principles are enshrined in the Premier League Owners’ Charter, introduced in June 2022, which aims to improve the collective strength and competitiveness of the League in the best interests of the wider game.

Since 2021, the Premier League, alongside other football bodies, has also strengthened its rules and governance in this area.

The Premier League will continue to engage in an open and constructive dialogue, with all relevant football stakeholders, on how best to protect and enhance the complementary balance of domestic and international club football.

Our position has not changed. We remain fully committed to participation in UEFA competitions, and to positive cooperation with UEFA, the Premier League, and fellow clubs through the ECA on the continued development of the European game.

FC Internazionale Milano reiterates its position that European football’s future well-being can only be secured by clubs working together through the ECA, in partnership and collaboration with UEFA and FIFA.

As a Club, we remain committed to the values that underpin the European Sports Model and to working through the ECA alongside our fellow clubs to uphold those values.

Like other clubs, Feyenoord has taken note of the European Court's ruling that UEFA and FIFA cannot ban clubs from starting a competition such as the Super League.

Feyenoord insists it has made no commitments, nor has it ever spoken to the people behind the possible Super League, as some foreign publications suggest. With what the club knows so far, it has doubts whether this initiative is a good idea for most clubs and for the national leagues. Through the ECA, the club will continue to think about the future, improvements within European football and strengthening the position of Dutch football.

Feyenoord will continue to follow all developments closely.

Club Statement

"Paris Saint-Germain rejects wholly and completely any so-called Super League project, which has been the case since day one and will always remain the case.

As a proud European institution, PSG supports the principles of the European Sports Model, upholding values of open competition, inclusiveness, and working with all recognised stakeholders of European football – most importantly for the fans and players, who are the heartbeat of football."

Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, Président of Paris Saint-Germain.

Statement by Borussia Dortmund's Hans-Joachim Watzke (Chairman of the Board) on the ruling of the European Court of Justice in Case C-333/21 – European Superleague Company:

"Borussia Dortmund will examine the ECJ's judgment in detail as soon as the full grounds for the ruling are made available to us. However, we are already convinced that conclusions to be drawn from the ECJ's ruling do not correspond to those that are currently circulating in the media. In its press release, the ECJ made it clear, among other things, that the decision does not mean that a competition such as the Super League must necessarily be allowed. For Borussia Dortmund, one thing holds true entirely independently of the discussions surrounding the verdict: we are not available for a Super League."

Club Statement: European Super League
Following today’s judgement delivered by the ECJ on the ESL case, AS Roma reiterates its position in committing to the values and future of European football.
The club in no way endorses any so-called Super League project that would present an unacceptable attack on the importance of the national leagues and the foundations of European football.

AS Roma believes that European football’s future well-being can only be secured through clubs working together through ECA in strong partnership and collaboration with UEFA and FIFA.

Following today's judgement by the European Court of Justice regarding the Super League, Jan Christian Dreesen, FC Bayern CEO and Vice-Chairman of the European Club Association (ECA), said the following:

“We have taken note of the judgement of the European Court of Justice. However, this does not change FC Bayern's and the ECA's position that such a competition would be an attack on the importance of the national leagues and the structure of European football. The Bundesliga is the foundation of FC Bayern, just as all national leagues are the foundation of other European football clubs. It is therefore our duty and our deep conviction to strengthen them, not to weaken them. We are also committed to the European club competitions under the umbrella of UEFA. So let me make it very clear once again that the door for the Super League remains closed at FC Bayern.”

Statement
Atlético de Madrid, after analyzing the ruling of the European Court of Justice, would like to express the following:

1. The resolution regarding the framework for prior authorization of other competitions refers to outdated UEFA statutes that were already amended in June 2022.

2. The European Club Association (ECA) and UEFA have established a partnership that renders the consideration of UEFA as a monopoly meaningless. Through agreements within this joint venture, clubs decide 50% on the sale of sponsorship and television rights, revenue distribution, and competition formats.

3. The European football community does not support the European Super League. Germany, France, England, Italy, Spain (except for Real Madrid and Barcelona), etc. oppose the Super League. We advocate for protecting the broader European football family, preserving domestic leagues, and securing qualification for European competitions through on-field performance each season.

Chelsea Football Club has today released the following statement in relation to the European Super League…

‘The judgment issued today by the European Court of Justice does not change Chelsea FC’s position. We firmly believe that, by working with the Premier League, The FA, other European clubs through our strong relationship with the ECA, and with UEFA and FIFA, we can, together, continue to develop the European game for the benefit of everyone.’

Club Statement

Following today’s (Thursday, 21 December) ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) regarding the European Super League (ESL), we should like to confirm that our position has not changed. We remain committed to the values of European football, and we will continue to work with fellow clubs through the ECA and participate in UEFA competitions.

Club Statement

Manchester City Football Club confirmed in 2021 that it had formally enacted the procedures to withdraw from the group developing plans for a European Super League.

Our position has not changed. We remain committed to the values of European football, and we will continue to work with fellow clubs through the ECA and participate in UEFA competitions.

F.C. COPENHAGEN STRONGLY OPPOSE POTENTIAL 'SUPER LEAGUE'

A number of European clubs have announced that they want to form a new, private and closed league outside the international football system.

F.C. Copenhagen would like to immediately distance ourselves from a potential 'Super League' and are opposed to a closed, private league outside of European competition, which is a crucial piece in the entire football ecosystem. The club also finds the method conducted by clubs looking to form a 'Super League' to be questionable and unsympathetic.

As recently as Friday, the board of the European Club Association (ECA) unanimously agreed on the models and solutions to be decided at today's UEFA congress in Switzerland. The ECA's board consists of representatives from seven of the clubs in question.

As a member of the ECA, and with FCK's Director of International Affairs, Daniel Rommedahl, as a board member, we agree with the announcements that have been made on Sunday evening, which include:

"As a representative of the 246 leading clubs in Europe, we underline our commitment to work on developing UEFA's club tournaments for the cycle, which begin in 2024 and the ECA will be strongly opposed to a closed Super League model."

We will now take an active part in discussions via the ECA and UEFA and across European football with clubs, leagues and federations, to ensure that football can live on - with or without those who have priorities other than ensuring a stable, European football system.

Official Statement

Real Sociedad remains committed to working through the ECA
together with the rest of the European clubs in defense of the values that define European football. This will only be achieved through the joint work that ECA and UEFA develop. Thanks to this alliance, important
progressive governance reforms have already been implemented across the entire football ecosystem in Europe, including new UEFA rules for the prior authorization of competitions. Furthermore, through the ECA, clubs are now at the center of decision-making in relation to the competitions in which they participate.

Respect for domestic leagues is an asset that we cannot under any
circumstances lose. We do not understand football as a closed model. We advocate open football with direct access from the domestic leagues and season by season.

Statement
Following today's ruling by the European Court of Justice, expresses its total opposition to any hypothesis of a Super League and confirms its line which has always been that of the enhancement of national championships, sports meritocracy, the protection of popular passions and respect for national and international sports institutions."

Statement

Following the decision of the European Court of Justice, AS Monaco would like to express its full commitment to the principle of sporting merit which governs UEFA competitions and the French championship.

AS Monaco will continue to work with the Ligue 1 clubs within the Ligue de Football Professionnel, and with other clubs through the ECA, in order to participate progressively and collectively in the development of football.

FC Barcelona wishes to express its satisfaction with the sentence of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) assessing the Super League project as proposed by A22 Sports. As one of the clubs driving the Super League project, FC Barcelona feels that the sentence paves the way for a new elite level football competition in Europe by opposing the monopoly over the football world, and wishes to initiate new discussions as to the path that European competitions should take in the future.

Since it was founded in 1899, FC Barcelona has always been a pioneering club in the world of sport, leading the drive towards more professionalised structures both on a domestic and international scale, with regard to both men’s and women’s competitions, in a variety of sports and from different social concerns. Hence, as it has been maintaining in recent years, the club feels that the medium-term sustainability of European football entails the need create a concept along the lines of the Super League proposed by A22. A system of competition that will address such issues as fixture overload and the excessive number of games between national teams, that will work towards regulation of financial fair play among participating teams, and that will put local and international players and supporters at the centre. This system must respect the functions and sustainability of domestic competitions and should be a meritocracy that is primarily based on results on the pitch.

In a year when the club is celebrating its 125th anniversary, Barça wishes to continue to offer its experience and knowledge of different sports to propose solutions for current issues in elite sport. That is why it is declaring its support for the Super League promoted by A22 and encourages constructive debate among both domestic and international football bodies, which have now been endorsed by today’s sentence by the Court of Justice of the European Union. The foregoing is all subject to a complete reading of the sentence.

Statement

Real Madrid receives the decision adopted by the Court of Justice of the European Union, the body charged with upholding out principles, values and liberties, with tremendous satisfaction.

In the coming days, we will study the scope of this resolution in great detail but I can reflect on two conclusions of historic significance. Firstly, European club football will no longer be a monopoly. Secondly, as of today, clubs will have their fate in their own hands. The clubs have been fully acknowledged in our right to create and promote European competitions that will modernise our sport and appeal to fans around the world. Ultimately, today has been another triumph for a Europe of freedom, and for football and its fans.

Faced with the pressure we have been subject to for more than two years, today law, justice and liberty have come to the fore. As a result of this, Real Madrid will continue to work for the good of football.

Just as we took a crucial step in footballing history almost seventy years ago with the creation of the European Cup, today we once again have the duty and responsibility of providing European football the boost it so desperately needs. To do so, we will continue to champion a modern project that is fully compatible with domestic competitions, open to all, based on sporting merit, and which will be imposed effectively as regards financial fair play. It is a project that will bring financial sustainability for all clubs and, first and foremost, one which will protect the players and excite fans across the globe.

We will make it happen despite the campaigns we have suffered, which will likely intensify starting today. But nobody said that bringing an end to a decades-long monopoly would be easy.

We are faced with a fantastic opportunity to improve European club football. A game that matches the demands of the 21st century and one that boasts transparent governance and can coexist alongside new technologies; the game that can once again ignite the passion and emotion the fans need.

Allow me to tell the European clubs that we are at the dawn of a new era that will allow us to work freely, on the basis of constructive dialogue, without threats, without acting against anything or anyone, and with the aim of innovating and modernising football in order to continue sustaining the fans' passions.

Starting today, the present and the future of European football are in the hands of the clubs, the players and the fans. Our destiny now belongs to us and we have a great responsibility in our hands.

This day marks a turning point. It is a great day in the history of football and sport in general.