UEFA reject Madrid judge’s order to DROP sanctions against clubs involved in the disastrous European Super League plot… with the governing body confident of victory when the case goes to court
- The judge also ruled that the Premier League and the Italian FA should follow suit
- UEFA though feel that their stance will prevail in the European Court of Justice
- UEFA’s base in Switzerland means they don’t need to obey the judge’s ruling
- Nine of the 12 clubs involved agreed with UEFA to make goodwill payments
- The six English sides involved also agreed to the same at the domestic level
- Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona haven’t withdrawn from the competition
UEFA have rejected an order by a Madrid judge to drop sanctions imposed on clubs which founded the ill-fated European Super League.
Plans drawn up in April for a breakaway European competition involving 12 of the world’s wealthiest clubs which guaranteed them vast riches without the threat of relegation led to a fierce backlash from supporters, with nine sides withdrawing their interest within days of the concept going public.
Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid still plan to hold the ESL, with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, both Manchester clubs, Tottenham, both Milan clubs and Atletico Madrid pulling out of the concept.
A Madrid judge has ordered UEFA to drop all sanctions against the 12 Super League founders
UEFA feel the European Court of Justice will rule in their favour when the case is heard
Judge Manuel Ruiz de Lara demanded on Friday that European football’s governing body put out a statement on their website that all punishments against the clubs involved would no longer apply, with fines or criminal charges possible if its injunction is ignored, The Times have reported.
The judge also ordered the Premier League and the Italian FA – who said any repeat offenders would be banned from Serie A – to drop all action taken against clubs in their respective countries.
However, UEFA feel that the sanctions handed out are justified and are confident of victory when the case passes to the European Court of Justice.
They are also in a strong position due because their base in Switzerland means they are not part of the European Union and therefore do not have to obey the court’s ruling.
The backlash from fans was significant after the announcement of the breakaway competition
All six English clubs involved in the plot agreed sanctions with the Premier League and UEFA
In the aftermath of the debacle earlier this year, the nine sides who withdrew struck a deal with UEFA to contribute a combined €15million (£12.8m) to youth and grassroots football, and to forfeit five per cent of UEFA competition revenue for one season.
The six English clubs also agreed to make a combined goodwill payment of £22m to support grassroots and community projects, with any attempt to resurrect the Super League plans leading to a 30-point deduction and a £25m for each club involved.
UEFA are confident that any plans to revive the ESL in future will be quickly quashed even if the three clubs still involve abandon the idea of permanent membership for founders, with a source saying: ‘The Super Legue is dead. The fans killed it and there is not going to be a resurrection.’
