February 27 – Two former judges of the European Court of Justice believe UEFA will win their case in the spring against the promoters of the Super League.
In December, UEFA and FIFA received significant backing in their bid to block any breakaway league with the ECJ’s advocate general saying the current UEFA rules were “compatible with EU competition law”.
A final ruling will be made by a 15-member Grand Chamber when backers of the Super League format will hope for a more sympathetic hearing after returning earlier this month with a softer, revamped version.
Promoter A22 said it has been engaged in “comprehensive dialogue with stakeholders across Europe on the future of club football”.
But despite attempts to make the Super League concept more fan-friendly, the new format has been roundly criticised by most stakeholders, many of whom say they haven’t been consulted, despite A22’s claims.
During a conference in Luxembourg on Friday concerning “the legal and economic aspects of the organization of football in Europe” José Luis Da Cruz Vilaca of Portugal argued UEFA was standing on solid ground.
He told delegates: “There is absolutely no reason to consider that the UEFA rules do not fall within the framework of the freedom of organization enjoyed by sports associations.”
Scotsman Ian Forrester added that the Advocate General in charge of the case, Athanasios Rantos, “provided a fairly strong and firm opinion” that will almost certainly be backed by the Chamber.
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