Real Madrid and the promoters of the European Super League are demanding more than $4 billion in compensation from UEFA, claiming the governing body unfairly obstructed the breakaway competition, according to a source on Thursday.
A Spanish court on Wednesday dismissed an appeal from UEFA linked to the Super League case.
The Super League, launched in 2021 by 12 top European clubs including Real Madrid and Barcelona, collapsed soon after its announcement due to opposition from English fans and pressure from UEFA and FIFA.
In December 2023, the European Court of Justice ruled that UEFA’s ban on the Super League violated European law. Last year, a Spanish judge also ruled that FIFA and UEFA had “prevented free competition” by opposing the league, describing their actions as anti-competitive and an abuse of dominant position.
The Madrid court on Wednesday additionally rejected appeals from La Liga and the Spanish Football Federation.
A22 Sports Management, which promotes the Super League, said UEFA had “refused any path of compromise or reforms” despite months of discussions, leaving them “no other choice” but to pursue legal action to recover damages.
“After years of legal proceedings, UEFA can no longer ignore binding court decisions,” said A22 CEO Bernd Reichart. “By abusing their monopoly and blocking new initiatives, they have caused substantial damages to clubs, players, and other stakeholders across Europe.”
UEFA, however, maintained that the ruling does not validate the abandoned 2021 Super League nor affect its current cross-border competition rules adopted in 2022 and updated in 2024. “These rules ensure competitions are assessed on objective, transparent, non-discriminatory, and proportionate criteria,” the governing body said.
Real Madrid welcomed the ruling, saying it confirmed that UEFA “seriously infringed the European Union’s free competition rules by abusing its dominant position.” The club added it would continue working “for the good of global football and fans” while pursuing substantial damages from UEFA.
