Probe into UEFA's Super League Deal Sparks Controversy
Investigators are focusing on the business agreement between UEFA and nine football clubs as an object of their investigation.
The perfectionists of a Super League are pushing ahead, but the question looms: is it lawful? Authorities are now delving into the matter following a dispute.
In the ongoing Super League debacle, the Spanish competition authority, the National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC), has commissioned an investigation against the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). As per a statement from the authority, the focus is on an agreement between the UEFA and nine football clubs from 2021, which allegedly prohibited them from participating in rival competitions. The investigation was ignited following a complaint by the marketing agency A22, which has been working on dreams of a European Super League for years.
The Spanish competition authority is investigating potential breaches of competition law. According to the CNMC statement, UEFA has reportedly taken a series of measures to ensure that the clubs comply with these restrictions. The agreement was sealed after UEFA threatened the clubs with exclusion from their competitions.
In response, UEFA stated that it is continuing to work constructively with the CNMC to resolve the issue. The association maintains that the agreements from 2021 are in line with Spanish and EU competition law[1].
German Clubs Stand Firm Against Super League
Last year, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that UEFA could not prevent alternative competitions by wielding threats of sanctions. The ECJ ruling questioned UEFA's monopoly position in European football[1].
The first attempt to introduce a Super League flopped in 2021. Original supporters crumbled under pressure from fans, sponsors, and politics within days. German top clubs have consistently opposed a Super League[1].
Since then, A22 has continued to lead the charge, submitting its plans for a Super League under the name "Unify League" to both UEFA and FIFA in December. A22 cited the ECJ ruling as justification for their plans[1].
Enrichment Data:
- The investigation follows a complaint by A22 Sports Management alleging that UEFA entered into agreements with nine clubs to deter support for rival competitions like the Super League[2][3][5].
- The CNMC investigation will examine potential breaches of Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which protect market competition and prevent abuses of dominance[5].
- The investigation aligns with a December 2023 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which found that UEFA and FIFA had infringed EU competition laws. This ruling supported the right of independent promoters like A22 to create and organize pan-European club football competitions[2][5].
- If the CNMC determines that UEFA breached competition regulations, it has up to 24 months to impose penalties[2]. Any penalties may have significant implications for the structure of European football competitions[1].
- The Spanish competition authority's investigation into UEFA, sparked by a complaint from A22 Sports Management, is focused on potential breaches of Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) in an agreement between UEFA and nine football clubs, allegedly aimed at deterring support for rival sports competitions like the European Super League.
- The on-going controversy surrounding the UEFA Super League has brought football into the realm of sports analysis, with the Spanish competition authority investigating whether UEFA's actions infringed upon competition law by threatening clubs with exclusion from their competitions to ensure compliance with restrictive agreements.
- parallel to the ongoing investigation, the Unify League, a revised version of the Super League proposal, submitted by A22 Sports Management, seeks to capitalize on the Court of Justice of the European Union's (CJEU) December 2023 ruling that found UEFA and FIFA had infringed EU competition laws, supporting the right of independent promoters like A22 to create and organize pan-European club football competitions.
