Six Premier League clubs attempted to join the European Super League (SIPA USA/PA Images)
The European Super League project has been handed a major boost as the European Court of Justice has ruled that FIFA and UEFA are unable to punish breakaway clubs and players.
Twelve clubs – including six from the Premier League – put forward a proposal in 2021 to drop out of the UEFA-run Champions League and Europa League and form a new European Super League.
UEFA and FIFA subsequently threatened to ban players who opted to participate in the European Super League from playing for their national teams at World Cup and European Championship tournaments.
But in a statement on Thursday morning, the EU Court of Justice has declared that the threat from FIFA and UEFA is ‘contrary to EU law’.
La Liga trio Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid also signed up for the European Super League, along with Italian sides Juventus, Inter and AC Milan.
In a statement release after the EU court’s ruling, La Liga said: ‘Today more than ever we remember that the “Super League” is a selfish and elitist model.
‘Any format that is not totally open, with direct access, year after year, via domestic leagues, is a closed model.’
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