Manchester United has expressed its continued support for UEFA competitions and the English Premier League after a court ruling that could pave the way for the revival of the European Super League. This followed a decision which deemed current UEFA rules on granting approval for new competitions as contrary to European law.
The European Super League proponents claimed victory after a court ruled in favor of their position and found UEFA’s authorization rules to be in violation of EU law. However, Manchester United, one of the founding clubs of the Super League back in 2021, have maintained their commitment to existing competitions.
The club released a statement reaffirming their full commitment to participating in UEFA competitions and emphasized their positive cooperation with UEFA, the Premier League, and fellow clubs through the ECA for the development of European football.
While Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid have shown their support for UEFA, A22 – the company behind the European Super League – sees the court ruling as setting football free. A22 has already put forth proposals for new men’s and women’s competitions at the European level, directly challenging existing UEFA tournaments.
A22 claims that fans will be able to watch matches for free on a streaming platform called Unify, supported by advertising. However, fan groups remain resistant to anything that resembles the 2021 Super League, with the Football Supporters’ Association CEO describing it as a “dead monstrosity” and asserting that no English club will join.
UEFA has been unwavering in its stance, insisting that the court ruling does not validate the Super League project and reaffirming its trust in the solidarity-based European football pyramid.
In light of the court ruling, FIFA announced that the decision would undergo further analysis. A22 has proposed a new 64-team men’s competition and a 32-team women’s competition with a tiered league structure, promotion, and relegation format.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez welcomed the ruling as an affirmation of clubs’ autonomy and freedom, but it remains to be seen how this will influence the future governance of football competitions.
With implications for domestic leagues, the ruling could potentially impact the commercial landscape of football, given the enormous TV rights deals and domestic league fan engagement.
The European Leagues group and the European Club Association have both expressed their commitment to the principles of openness and qualification through domestic performances and confirmed their ongoing collaboration with UEFA for commercial operations.
The ECA further emphasized that football is a social contract among all recognized stakeholders of European and world football, standing united against attempts to undermine football’s basic principles. Thus, this latest development has reignited a fierce debate about the future of European football and its governance, pitting competing interests against each other.