Club boss Joan Laporta from the 26-time Spanish soccer champions FC Barcelona still believes in the creation of a Super League, despite all the developments to the contrary.
Laporta told the radio station “Cadena SER” that the league could start in 2025 – if the judgment of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which is expected for this spring, is in favor of the supporters.
It doesn’t look like that, however. In mid-December, the ECJ in Luxembourg published an opinion in which the actions of the European Football Union (UEFA) and the world association FIFA are described as compatible with European law.
Although the Super League may start its own competition, it cannot demand simultaneous participation in the competitions of the associations without their consent. Therefore, sanctions up to and including exclusion from one’s own competitions are legally compliant.
The opinion presented by Advocate General Athanasios Rantos is not binding for the court, but in the past the ECJ mostly followed the opinion of the chamber.
For many experts, the Super League is finally off the table. Only Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus Turin want to stick to the idea, which initially failed in April 2021 after their fellow campaigners withdrew.