There are numerous reactions to the European Super League ruling.
The European Court of Justice ruled on Monday that it is illegal for UEFA and FIFA to ban clubs from participating in the Super League. "It should be transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate, but UEFA and FIFA are abusing their dominant authority. The club should take into account the arbitrary nature of the club and not restrict its freedom. It does not mean that a Super League project should be approved unconditionally," he said.
The Super League was officially launched in 2021. The Super League was an independent, different competition that did not belong to UEFA and FIFA. The teams that were confirmed to participate at the time were Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in the Premier League (PL). Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid declared their participation in the Spanish La Liga. Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter Milan also expressed their intention to participate. Bayern Munich and Dortmund, Germany's Bundesliga powerhouses, did not participate. The same was true of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), an absolute powerhouse in the French Ligue 1.
The cause of its creation was also 'money'. When the Super League is established, each club will earn huge profits. If a team with a huge fandom around the world and numerous stars plays in the league, it will naturally attract a lot of attention and capital. It was an attractive league for non-PL league clubs suffering from financial difficulties. Naturally, UEFA and FIFA strongly protested, and the participating teams' affiliated teams protested all at once. It was judged that they had surrendered to the logic of capital and turned their backs on fans related to their leagues, resulting in a tremendous backlash. The opposition was louder than expected, leading to judicial issues and some clubs leaving the Super League.
In the midst of a legal dispute, the European Court of Justice ruled in favor of the Super League. UEFA said, "The ruling has been made, but it does not imply support or confirmation of the Super League. UEFA is committed to defending the European soccer community and continuing its commitment to the wider good. It will cooperate with associations, leagues, and clubs in their respective countries to create a good European-style sports model. In the face of the threat of withdrawal from the current system, each country's laws will act as a safeguard."
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said, "We have no intention of blocking the Super League. We can make whatever we want, but I hope we can make the top league as soon as possible. I think two clubs will lead the league." The two clubs are Real Madrid and Barcelona, which are still members of the Super League. Cheferin said, "Soccer is not for sale."
Real Madrid President Florentino Perez, the de facto leader of the Super League, said, "This is a very satisfactory ruling. European soccer is by no means a monopoly and will never be monopolized. From today on, a club's fate is decided by its own. The club has been recognized for its right to modernize its sports and attract fans from all over the world. Today we won, and soccer is also a day of victory. Law, reason, and freedom prevailed under the pressure that we have been under for more than two years."
"The European Cup (the predecessor of UCL) is the foundation of soccer's history. Once again, we need a modernized project that will give European soccer a new momentum. A project was proposed that will provide economic sustainability to the club and excite the players. It is a great opportunity to develop European soccer and I want to say that it is the beginning of a new era. Today is the most important day in the history of soccer and sports."
Barcelona said, "I am satisfied with the ruling of the European Court of Justice. I think the Super League project is the way to a new elite soccer competition. Since its inception in 1899, Barcelona has always been a leading club in the soccer world. It has strived for a specialized structure in which everyone participates in various competitions. It was judged that the Super League was necessary for the sustainability of European soccer. It wanted a competition system that solves the problems of schedule overload and excessive number of games, regulates financial fair play, and focuses only on players and fans. We respect the function and sustainability of domestic competitions and promote meritocracy," he said, still supporting the Super League.
Clubs other than Real Madrid and Barcelona expressed different opinions. "For now, two years or eight years from now, there will be no Super League," said Javier Tebas, president of La Liga, which also includes Real and Barcelona. "Not many clubs support the Super League." Atletico Madrid said, "The European soccer community does not want the Super League. The same goes for Spain, except for Real and Barcelona. We have to protect the domestic league and agree that the team is qualified for the European Championship through domestic matches every season."
The PL Secretariat said, "This is an important ruling and we will judge its impact well. I don't think this ruling is in support of the creation of the Super League. We still deny the concept of the Super League and have consistently expressed our opposition to the separate competition that cuts off Korea and Europe," adding that domestic soccer should be the centerpiece.
After joining the Super League, Manchester United said, "Our position does not change. We are doing our best to participate in the UEFA competition. We are positively cooperating with PL fellow clubs, UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA) for the continued development of the European game."
"We are paying attention to the ruling by the European Court of Justice. However, Munich holds the same view that it will attack domestic competitions and European soccer structures. Just as the core of all leagues is in Korea, the Bundesliga's top priority is in Korea. Therefore, it is our belief and duty to put Korea first. We will focus on UEFA competitions as well. I repeat that Munich is closed to the Super League."
"We reject all Super League plans," said Naser al-Kelaifi, chairman of PSG, which includes Lee Kang-in. "We have done so since the beginning and will remain the same in the future. As a proud European club, PSG supports open competition and inclusion values, which are European model principles, and is cooperating with all European soccer officials." 스포츠토토
Leading clubs such as Dortmund, Villarreal, Sevilla, AS Roma, Leverkusen and AS Monaco have expressed their opposition to the Super League like Manchester United, Munich and PSG.
The Super League has introduced new rules despite objection by several teams. It was a new format in which a total of 64 teams participated in the event, divided into star, gold and blue leagues, played seven home and seven away games, and promoted and demoted the game through playoff stages. In order to protect players, the number of games is reduced, tremendous profit is provided to participating teams, and the game is broadcasted for free.
Since the European Court of Justice's ruling, the news about the Super League has poured out, and fans are also divided over its pros and cons. Attention is also focusing on how the ruling will affect the soccer community.
