Real Madrid Super League lawsuit seeks over $4bn in damages, accusing UEFA of unfairly blocking the breakaway league and abusing its dominant position
Real Madrid Super League lawsuit claims have intensified as the Spanish club and promoters of the breakaway competition move to seek more than $4 billion in damages from UEFA.
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They accuse Europe’s football governing body of unfairly sabotaging the project, according to a source who spoke to AFP on Thursday.
The legal push follows a ruling by a Spanish court which dismissed an appeal filed by UEFA over the Super League dispute, deepening a saga that has gripped European football since 2021.
Originally proposed by 12 elite clubs including Real Madrid and Barcelona the Super League was meant to rival the UEFA Champions League. However, it collapsed within days amid fan outrage in England and stern threats from UEFA and FIFA.
The European Court of Justice later ruled in December 2023 that UEFA’s ban on the Super League breached EU law, a decision that emboldened the project’s backers.
In a related 2024 judgment, a Spanish court held that both UEFA and FIFA had “prevented free competition” and abused their dominant positions by blocking the proposed competition.
A22 Sports Management, the company promoting the Super League, said UEFA had repeatedly refused dialogue and reform.
It stated that the Real Madrid Super League lawsuit became necessary to secure compensation for extensive damages suffered by clubs and stakeholders.
“After years of legal proceedings, UEFA can no longer ignore binding court decisions,” said A22 CEO Bernd Reichart.
“By abusing their monopoly and blocking innovation, they have caused substantial damage to clubs and players across Europe.”
Despite the legal momentum, UEFA insisted that the court’s decision did not legitimise the defunct 2021 Super League.
It stressed that its revised competition rules, updated in 2022 and again in 2024, remain valid and binding.
“This ruling does not validate the abandoned project,” UEFA said in a statement to AFP. “Our authorisation rules continue to ensure fairness, transparency, and proportionality in cross-border competitions.”
Real Madrid, however, welcomed the development, calling the decision a powerful confirmation that UEFA had breached European competition laws.
“The club is delighted by the ruling, confirming UEFA’s serious infringement of free competition rules,” the Spanish champions said.
“We will continue to work for the good of global football and claim substantial damages from UEFA.”
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While the scale of the Real Madrid Super League lawsuit remains under judicial review, analysts say the case could reshape the future of European football governance and redefine the limits of UEFA’s authority over club competitions.
