Real Madrid and A22 Sports Management are preparing a claim of up to €4.5 billion against UEFA, alleging that European football’s governing body unlawfully blocked the creation of the European Super League (ESL), according to Spanish newspaper AS.
The move follows a landmark ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), upheld by the Provincial Court of Madrid, which found that UEFA and FIFA had violated European competition law by abusing their dominant position and restricting free competition through threats and sanctions against ESL clubs.
In a strongly worded statement on Wednesday, Real Madrid warned UEFA that it would seek “substantial damages” as a result of what it described as unlawful obstruction of the breakaway competition. The club and A22 — the company behind the Super League project — have instructed legal teams to quantify losses, estimated at around €4.5 billion.
The CJEU ruling, issued in December 2023, stated that “the FIFA and UEFA rules on prior authorisation of club football competitions, such as the European Super League, violate Union law by abusing a dominant position and preventing free competition in the market.” The judgment also described UEFA’s authorisation and sanctioning powers as an “unjustified restriction on the free provision of services.”
Although the ruling did not explicitly endorse the Super League project, it established that governing bodies cannot prevent the creation of new tournaments if they meet regulatory and sporting standards. Real Madrid and A22 argue that UEFA’s actions deprived them of potential commercial and broadcasting revenues.
In recent months, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has held a series of meetings with representatives from A22, Real Madrid, and Barcelona in an attempt to ease tensions. However, those talks reportedly stalled over disagreements about the format and governance of future competitions.
According to AS, the claim may cite precedents from major competition law cases, including the €2.4 billion fine imposed on Google by the CJEU for abusing its market dominance through its “Google Shopping” service.
The claim, still being finalised, marks the latest chapter in the long-running legal and political battle over the future of European football governance — and could have far-reaching consequences for UEFA’s control over continental competitions.
