The European Super League — once dubbed football’s most controversial project — has re-emerged, and this time with even higher stakes.
Real Madrid and A22 Sports Management, the company behind the ill-fated breakaway competition, have announced plans to sue UEFA for €4.5 billion in damages, alleging lost profits, reputational harm, and competitive damage caused by UEFA’s “monopoly.”
According to AS, lawyers representing both Madrid and A22 are already preparing the lawsuit after months of fruitless meetings and failed negotiations. The move follows a Madrid court ruling that sided with Los Blancos and A22, confirming that UEFA had “seriously infringed EU free competition rules.”
For Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, the decision serves as long-awaited vindication. The club believes it now has a legal foundation to recover billions lost due to what it calls UEFA’s “unlawful obstruction.”
The roots of the dispute date back to April 2021, when 12 elite clubs — including Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, and Juventus — unveiled the Super League as a rival to the UEFA Champions League. Designed to generate higher revenues and introduce a new competition model, the project collapsed within 48 hours amid fan protests, government backlash, and threats of sanctions from UEFA and FIFA.
Despite the fallout, Pérez persisted, accusing UEFA of running a “monopoly that kills innovation and fair competition.” Backed by A22 CEO Bernd Reichart, Madrid pursued legal action — and in December 2023, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that UEFA’s approval requirements for new tournaments violated EU law.
Spain’s Audiencia Provincial later reinforced that judgment, declaring that UEFA had abused its dominant position by blocking the Super League. The decision not only validated Madrid’s long-held position but also paved the way for what could become the most expensive lawsuit in football history.
Although UEFA and A22 attempted reconciliation — with talks involving UEFA’s Teodoro Teodoridis, A22’s Reichart, and representatives from Real Madrid and Barcelona — negotiations broke down over disagreements about competition formats. Insiders accused UEFA of “stalling to buy time.”
Meanwhile, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has taken a softer approach, attending a recent meeting in Rome organized by PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and UEFA chief Aleksander Čeferin, saying:
“By coming here, we want to build rapport and for this agreement to be reached.”
Pérez, however, remains defiant, viewing the ruling as an opportunity to challenge UEFA’s dominance. The impending lawsuit, which could span several jurisdictions, may reshape European football’s governance and financial structures.
Real Madrid’s €4.5 billion claim is not just about compensation — it’s a battle over principle and power. The club argues that UEFA’s stranglehold on European football has restricted innovation, stifled competition, and limited clubs’ ability to chart their own futures.
UEFA, on its part, insists that the court rulings do not endorse the Super League, affirming that its “authorization rules adopted in 2022 and updated in 2024 remain fully in force.” The organization plans to appeal while strengthening its governance through the European Football Clubs (EFC) association.
If Real Madrid’s case succeeds, it could trigger a wave of similar lawsuits — a scenario that might cost UEFA billions and significantly weaken its control over European football.
