The long-awaited ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on the Super League has finally arrived. And he has done it together with two others who also have the ability to understand the dichotomy between sports rules and state or community rules. In what matters most, socially and economically, the CJEU has decided in Solomonic fashion. Thus, in effect, a Super League or whatever you want to call it, can be established and there is no reason to prohibit it, but the Court does not rule on how it should be done or if, if necessary, it could be authorized, within the sporting rules. That is to say, it is indicated that UEFA and FIFA have rules that prevent free competition and that clear criteria are not established. In this way, a blow is given to make them change, but on the other hand it does not give “the go-ahead” to the Super League itself, and we will have to see what their next move is.
Its general director says that there will be three divisions (Star, Gold and Blue) with 64 clubs, but despite talking about them being able to go down and up, coefficients will also be taken into account (it seems more than complicated that the owners-partners of the Super League can go down...). And let's not forget the restrictions that it entails, which have consequences such as not being able to participate in national leagues if the clubs do not commit to being, due to their classification, in those controlled by UEFA. That has already been decided by some states or leagues, as we will see later.
So, what is going to happen from now on? The British already anticipated last February, with ratification this November, to control professional clubs that wanted to rebel against the purely sports system. They would be prohibited from being registered in the Premier if they went to the Super League. Other countries must also subscribe to this scheme. This has been done by the Italian League, which declared this week that clubs that are in a Super League will not be able to compete in the calcium. The German clubs have decided the same.
What will be the next step for the super leagues? The three that remain, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus, can only impose their category as clubs that dominate their local leagues and, also, many of the Champions Leagues. But the English disbandment, together with British legislation and German and Italian decisions (as well as the unwritten French decision not to allow members of the Super League in its championship), leaves no options for the richest people in the place, the Anglos, to arrive. to compete in a Super League.
In fact, it could be reduced to a triumvirate that would play eternally against each other, which makes no sporting or economic sense, nor for the fans and the media, and Juve has the Sword of Damocles of its league...
So the limited company created in Madrid, which still, according to what is known, has all its active partners (those who left have probably kept their shares due to some type of penalty if they left) but, like a hotel without guests or a train without passengers, will be able to accomplish little or nothing.
Does this mean that the Super League is dead forever? Well, I don't think so, because I have been, in one form or another, in these projects since the end of the 20th century, preparing reports from time to time, and defending clubs that left the first serious attempt, sponsored by Italian and English companies. Now, with the push of the CJEU, they will have to prepare to present a project that is compatible and admissible, within the sporting specificity. Therefore, it seems to me that, like swallows, another SuperX will return at some point that can find the key that will allow it to move forward. However, what will continue will be the duality between federated or pyramidal sport and the model that is trying to be implemented, similar to the major American leagues, with the Super League format. Let us remember that this one, which was going to be closed with a few guests, turned around and even argued the possibility of having several "divisions." That is to say, it is a living project, which is transformed according to what may be of interest. This, which seemed to have an end today, is only a see you later and the battle has not ended, which has as its end, obviously, power and money.
