The European Court of Justice decision in favour of the European Super League, establishing the criterion that UEFA and FIFA can neither ban it nor punish the clubs that participate in it, represents the most important change in recent decades in the world of football. The consequences will be momentous for everything that surrounds the sport, with enormous economic dimensions for the clubs and a complete revolution in the spectacle and the business of the great ball game. We are undoubtedly entering a new era which, within a few years, will be very different to what exists today, and I have little doubt that this new model of competition will soon end up being one of the most important spectacles on the planet if it can combine three elements: the enormous capital of the existing European football clubs; the fans mobilized by each of the major teams; and television, as the engine of what may be the most attractive sports competition of all.
It is, on the other hand, one of the most important victories in the career of Florentino Pérez, the president of Real Madrid, equally admired and feared, and who, after challenging La Liga, UEFA and FIFA and apparently ending up with his sporting project derailed in April 2021, did not give in but elevated the fight to the European courts, which have now ended up ruling in his favour. Meanwhile, the vast majority of Premier League teams invited to take part - Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal - took a step back, as did Juventus and Atlético de Madrid. Only Futbol Club Barcelona stayed by his side, pressured by a very complicated economic situation inherited by Joan Laporta, who saw in this initiative the real lever to solve all the club's problems.
The Super League is the most important change in recent decades in the world of football
Of course, Laporta's position has sought to combine unequivocal support for Florentino Pérez with a hand outstretched to UEFA, with which he has several litigations open that, depending on how they end, could compromise the future of the club. Putting it simply, Laporta's actions were mindful both of antagonizing UEFA and of avoiding a sporting sanction. Now that the rules of the game have been established by the Court of Justice, we will see how the competition is organized and how long it takes, as well as what the new attitude will be from the deserters of the past. It does not seem excessive to think that, in view of the ruling from European justice, there will be a rethink from the clubs that previously stepped back from the plan - fundamentally, that the Premier League teams, essential to this business for all that they control, change their attitude.
In any case, the promoters of the European Super League have wasted no time and just a few hours after the ruling announced the competition model, with 64 teams spread over three leagues, and promotions and relegations. The first two leagues will have 16 teams each, divided into two groups of 8, while the last one will have the remaining 32 clubs, which will be divided into 4 groups. The bottom of each group will be relegated from the division. In the case of the third league, 20 teams will be replaced by other teams according to their results in domestic competitions. The model adopted aims to be a mix between prestigious European clubs that have large numbers of fans and the meritocracy of those sports entities with less history but good sporting results. We will have to watch its evolution very closely.