By Frank Dalleres
The Champions League final may not take place until June but the future of the competition could be decided in December when the European Court of Justice hands down its binding verdict on the legitimacy of a breakaway Super League.
The ECJ has been deliberating for more than a year over whether football governing bodies Uefa and Fifa acted within European law by blocking the Super League in April 2021 and subsequently punishing the 12 clubs involved.
Its verdict, which could have major ramifications for the whole sport, was expected in the first half of this year but will now be delivered on the morning of 21 December, the ECJ confirmed on Tuesday.
If it finds in favour of Uefa and Fifa, it would deal a hammer blow to any remaining hopes of revving the controversial project, which was abandoned by most of its backers within 72 hours of its announcement.
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus continued to support the idea, although the Italian club has since also withdrawn its backing.
The concept is now being promoted by A22 Sports Management, which was formed specifically for the purpose. Its chief executive Bernd Reichart said the imminent verdict meant that club football was “on the eve of major change”.
He added: “We hope the European Court of Justice will end the monopoly of Uefa and enforce the fundamental freedoms of the European Union in the world of football.
“Fans, clubs, players and the sport of football would be the winners in a market that is open for a competition of ideas and in which clubs could govern and organise a European football competition without fear of threats.”
An indication of how the ECJ might rule came in December last year when Advocate General Athanasios Rantos said Uefa and Fifa’s rules were compatible with European law. The AG’s opinion is not always followed by the court but is seen as the likely outcome.
In response to fierce criticism, the Super League proposal has been amended since its ill-fated launch from a closed 20-team league to a multi-division ecosystem featuring 60-80 clubs.
However it is not clear how domestic competitions such as the Premier League would feed into it, especially since the league has banned its clubs from joining unaffiliated competitions.
