The European governing body, UEFA, has commenced disciplinary procedures against Juventus, Real Madrid, and FC Barcelona over their role in the failed European Super League.
Recall that on April 18, 2021, Real Madrid, Juventus, FC Barcelona, and 9 other clubs which included, Arsenal, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Manchester City, Inter Milan, and AC Milan confirmed the establishment of the breakaway league.
They announced that the league which was designed strictly for the biggest clubs in Europe would kick off in the 2021-2022 season. Immediately they made the announcement, speculation started making the rounds that the European Super League was designed to rival UEFA Champions League.
The critics of the European Super League also argued that the breakaway league didn’t give room for healthy competition as there was no room for promotion or relegation and the clubs were handpicked. Not only that, critics of the breakaway league argued that clubs’ owners signed up for the league due to greed.
All these arguments sparked agitation against the European Super League from football fans, pundits, football bodies, government, and administrators. It even resulted in some clubs’ fans protesting against the owners of some clubs that initially signed up for the failed league, especially in the Premier League.
The pressure forced the 6 Premier League clubs involved in the breakaway league to bow out of the plan. Shortly after, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, and AC Milan abandoned the plan.
Only Juventus, Real Madrid, and FC Barcelona refused to officially abandon the proposed European Super League. Hence, UEFA fined other clubs that left the planned breakaway league and announced that a disciplinary procedure would be carried out against the three clubs that are yet to abandon the plan.
On Tuesday, May 25, UEFA announced that the disciplinary procedure has begun and more details about it would be made public soon.
“Following an investigation conducted by UEFA ethics and disciplinary inspectors in connection with the so-called ‘Super League’ project, disciplinary proceedings have been opened against Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona, and Juventus FC for a potential violation of UEFA’s legal framework”, a statement from UEFA read.
“Further information will be made available in due course.”
UEFA’s announcement came weeks after Real Madrid, Juventus, and Barcelona issued a joint statement to insist that the clubs that signed up for the European Super League were pressured until they had to bow out of the proposed league.
They also claimed that a tribunal has ruled in favor of the European Super League and urged football governing bodies like UEFA and FIFA not to take any action against the proposed league amid pending court proceedings.
“The founding clubs have suffered, and continue to suffer, unacceptable third-party pressures, threats, and offenses to abandon the project and therefore desist from their right and duty to provide solutions to the football ecosystem via concrete proposals and constructive dialogue”, the clubs said in their joint statement.
“This is intolerable under the rule of law and tribunals have already ruled in favor of the Super League proposal, ordering FIFA and UEFA to, either directly or through their affiliated bodies, refrain from taking any action which may hinder this initiative in any way while court proceedings are pending.”
Following an investigation conducted by UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors in connection with the Super League project, UEFA has opened formal disciplinary proceedings against three European football giants who still won't pull the plug on the proposed Super League idea. pic.twitter.com/t1wResUypB
— PLAYBET (@PLAYBET) May 26, 2021
