UEFA has demanded that the Court of Justice of the European Union modify its press release on the European Super League decision and senior officials believe that the publication was improved to make the ruling sound more media-friendly.
The statement issued by the Court of Justice last week carried the headline that “FIFA and UEFA rules on the prior approval of club competitions, such as the Super League, are contrary to EU law”, and added that “FIFA and UEFA are abusing a dominant position.”
This led Super League defenders, including Real Madrid and Barcelona, to claim victory in their legal challenge which was launched after the short-lived project collapsed in April 2021, when six Premier League clubs joined in. to the separatist competition before withdrawing 48 hours later.
According to The Times, UEFA believes that the court ruling does not validate the Super League and its lawyers have written to the Court of Justice demanding that the statement be modified, alleging that it is “inaccurate” and “contradicts the ruling.”
The letter, sent to the CJEU, says that the press release, which was broadcast by media around the world, did not include the ruling clarifying that sports organizations can request exemptions from European competition rules if they are in the public interest.
The Times has had access to the letter sent by UEFA, which claims that the CJEU's press releases “must at least faithfully reflect the actual content of the ruling.” “While we appreciate that press releases are not binding on the court, they are the focal point of media attention in high-profile cases, and damage the perception and reputation of UEFA, given the extreme seriousness of the matter.”
And he concludes: “The statements also remain on the court's website. Additionally, in a high-profile case like this they attract a lot of attention and influence the way the case is perceived. We ask, therefore, that you ensure that the press release is amended to accurately reflect the court's ruling.”
