https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/Twelve clubs announced a breakaway European Super League in April 2021, and the project collapsed within days after the six English clubs withdrew. The company behind it sued FIFA and UEFA in Madrid, and the Court of Justice of the EU ruled in December 2023 that their prior approval rules breached EU competition law. Madrid courts later found UEFA had abused a dominant position, and in February 2026 UEFA, the European Football Clubs body and Real Madrid announced an agreement intended to resolve their legal disputes.enhttps://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e21european-super-league-legal-fight-ca15387a6bFri, 16 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000Sportcal and Inside World Football reported that Bernd Reichart, who led A22 from July 2022, had left the company and been appointed Real Madrid's business director. Both described the appointment as reported, and neither cited confirmation from the club.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e20european-super-league-legal-fight-ecd44075cfWed, 11 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000UEFA, the European Football Clubs body (EFC) and Real Madrid announced an agreement of principles for the good of European club football, which they said would also resolve their Super League legal disputes once the principles were executed and implemented, Reuters and AFP reported. Terms, including any effect on the damages claim, were not disclosed in the reports.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e19european-super-league-legal-fight-4996aa2cd8Sat, 07 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000Barcelona said it had formally notified the European Superleague Company and the other clubs of its withdrawal, leaving Real Madrid as the last club backing the project, the Associated Press reported.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e18european-super-league-legal-fight-8a21075c25Thu, 30 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000Real Madrid and the Super League promoters were seeking more than $4 billion in damages from UEFA, AFP reported, citing an unnamed source.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e16european-super-league-legal-fight-ddbdcd8366Wed, 29 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000Real Madrid announced on 29 October 2025 that the Madrid Provincial Court had dismissed appeals by UEFA, the Spanish federation and LaLiga against the ruling that UEFA breached EU competition law, as RTE and the Associated Press reported. IUSPORT, a Spanish sports law publication, identified the ruling as judgment 269/2025 of Section 32, dated 29 October 2025. Real Madrid said it opened the way to claim damages.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e17european-super-league-legal-fight-7f17cf8331Wed, 29 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000UEFA said the appeal ruling did not validate the 2021 project, that its 2022 authorisation rules, updated in 2024, remain fully in force, and that it would review the judgment. LaLiga said the decision focused only on procedural aspects, according to AP.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e15european-super-league-legal-fight-a231d8e2e8Sun, 01 Dec 2024 12:00:00 +0000A22 submitted proposals to UEFA and FIFA seeking recognition for a midweek Unify League of 96 men's teams in four leagues and 32 women's teams, qualified through domestic league performance and streamed free, the Associated Press reported on 18 December 2024. AP said there was no official response from UEFA or FIFA and LaLiga called it a threat.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e14european-super-league-legal-fight-64746831adMon, 27 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000Judge Sofia Gil Garcia of the Madrid commercial court ordered FIFA and UEFA to halt their opposition to the Super League, finding they had engaged in anticompetitive conduct and abused a dominant position, Reuters and Dawn reported. LaLiga president Javier Tebas said the judgment was not final. Dawn noted the scope was uncertain because the rules had since been rewritten.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e11european-super-league-legal-fight-c850035c30Thu, 21 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000The Grand Chamber held that FIFA and UEFA rules requiring prior approval of new club competitions, and barring clubs and players from unapproved ones, were not subject to transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate criteria and so were an abuse of a dominant position. It also found their control of media rights restrictive of competition, leaving possible justification to the Madrid court.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e12european-super-league-legal-fight-d2c45cf86fThu, 21 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000UEFA responded to the judgment by saying it did not amount to approval of the project, as quoted by Dawn.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e13european-super-league-legal-fight-fa5c0f3697Thu, 21 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000A22 proposed a midweek competition of 64 men's and 32 women's teams in leagues with promotion and relegation, with clubs staying in their domestic leagues and matches free to watch on a streaming platform, Reuters reported.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e10european-super-league-legal-fight-3c72e31660Sat, 01 Jul 2023 12:00:00 +0000Juventus withdrew from the Super League project midway through 2023, leaving Real Madrid and Barcelona as its last public backers, the Associated Press reported.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e9european-super-league-legal-fight-49329e742bThu, 15 Dec 2022 12:00:00 +0000Advocate General Athanasios Rantos advised the CJEU that the prior approval rules were compatible with EU competition law because their restrictive effects were inherent in and proportionate to legitimate sporting objectives. The opinion was not binding on the Court.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e8european-super-league-legal-fight-74e366cfecMon, 27 Sep 2021 12:00:00 +0000UEFA's Appeals Body declared the proceedings against the three clubs void to comply with a Madrid court ruling, after a judge had renewed the demand the previous week, Al Jazeera reported. UEFA also said it would not seek the money the nine other clubs had agreed to pay.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e7european-super-league-legal-fight-02e3009405Tue, 01 Jun 2021 12:00:00 +0000A Spanish court injunction in June 2021 led UEFA to pause its disciplinary case against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus, Al Jazeera reported.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e6european-super-league-legal-fight-31a87d5772Tue, 11 May 2021 12:00:00 +0000The Madrid commercial court, hearing the European Superleague Company's action against FIFA and UEFA, made an order for a preliminary reference to the CJEU, which was lodged on 27 May 2021 as Case C-333/21, according to the judgment. A22 Sports Management, the Spanish federation and LaLiga intervened.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e5european-super-league-legal-fight-67f1343034Fri, 07 May 2021 12:00:00 +0000Nine clubs signed a Club Commitment Declaration with UEFA, agreeing to end their involvement, donate 15 million euros to grassroots football and have 5 percent of one season's UEFA competition revenue withheld, Al Jazeera reported. UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e4european-super-league-legal-fight-8af2b9cd3fTue, 20 Apr 2021 12:00:00 +0000The six English clubs withdrew through the evening amid fan protests and warnings from the British government, the Associated Press reported. The Super League said it would reconsider the most appropriate steps to reshape the project.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e3european-super-league-legal-fight-db4fd49fc5Mon, 19 Apr 2021 12:00:00 +0000On 19 and 20 April 2021 the Madrid commercial court ordered protective measures, without hearing the other side, aimed at stopping FIFA, UEFA and their member associations from thwarting the project through sanctions or threats of sanctions, according to the CJEU judgment.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e1european-super-league-legal-fight-a2ce979d0aSun, 18 Apr 2021 12:00:00 +0000Six English clubs, plus Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Juventus and AC Milan, announced a 20 team midweek league with 15 founder members and five annual qualifiers, Reuters reported. Florentino Perez was named founding chairman and Andrea Agnelli vice-chairman, and the founding clubs would receive 3.5 billion euros.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e2european-super-league-legal-fight-1e67ffdc8aSun, 18 Apr 2021 12:00:00 +0000A UEFA press release issued with the English, Spanish and Italian associations and certain leagues said the clubs concerned would be banned from other competitions, the CJEU judgment records.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/european-super-league-legal-fight/#e0european-super-league-legal-fight-08579e9e6aThu, 21 Jan 2021 12:00:00 +0000FIFA and the six continental confederations, including UEFA, stated that such a competition would not be recognised and that clubs or players taking part would be barred from their competitions, the CJEU judgment records.