Following the ruling by an EU court on Thursday, which said that UEFA and FIFA had violated EU law by banning the development of a Super League, major clubs and leagues around Europe rejected the Super League in favor of the status quo.
German champions Bayern Munich and Manchester United were among the first to declare their continued commitment to competing in UEFA-run soccer championships.
United was one of the 12 teams that participated in the April 2021 founding of the breakaway Super League, but it withdrew in response to player, government, and fan opposition.
“We still maintain the same stance. We are still totally dedicated to competing in UEFA events and to working constructively with UEFA, the Premier League, and other clubs via the ECA to advance the European game,” the club declared.
Before withdrawing, the other five Premier League teams engaged were Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur.
In 2021, two months after the six English teams withdrew from the initiative, they announced they would donate 22 million pounds ($27.78 million) as “a gesture of goodwill” to fund community programs, grassroots football, and fan support.
The Premier League said that each of them would be fined 25 million pounds and lose 30 points if they attempted a similar maneuver.
The Premier League said, “The ruling does not endorse the so-called “European Super League,” and the Premier League continues to reject any such concept.”
“Supporters are of vital importance to the game and they have time and again made clear their opposition to a ‘breakaway’ competition that severs the link between domestic and European football.”
SLAMMED DOOR
The Super League “remains closed” for the German champions Bayern Munich, who declared their commitment to UEFA tournaments.
CEO of FC Bayern, Jan Christian Dreesen, stated, “The Bundesliga is the foundation of FC Bayern, just as all national leagues are the foundation of other European football clubs.”
Therefore, we firmly believe that we should work to strengthen rather than diminish them. We are also dedicated to participating in the UEFA-sponsored European club competitions.”
The league that oversees the Bundesliga, the German Football League (DFL), declared that it “rejects competitions outside those competitions organized by the federations and the leagues and explicitly supports the European sports model.”
According to the European Club Association (ECA), representing over 500 clubs across the continent, football fans had “moved on from the Super League years ago.”.
“Through the ECA, clubs today are already at the heart of decision-making in relation to the competitions they participate in,” stated the ECA.
The most crucial thing to remember is that football is a social contract, not a legal one.
“All the recognised stakeholders… spanning confederations, federations, clubs, leagues, players, and fans stand more united than ever against the attempts by a few individuals pursuing personal agendas to undermine the very foundations and basic principles of European football.”
France’s Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) declared that it “unequivocally supports” UEFA tournaments.
The national championships would be safeguarded, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) reaffirmed, “for the defence of the broader and more general principle of sporting merit and the respect of international calendars.”.
“The FIGC believes that the Super League is not a project compatible with these conditions and will always act to pursue the general interests of Italian football,” it stated.
