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A Spanish court orders FIFA and UEFA to stop opposing the Super League

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On Monday, a Spanish court ordered the International and European Football Associations (FIFA) to stop opposing the launch of a parallel European competition known as the “UEFA Super League,” ruling that they were engaging in anti-competitive behavior and exploiting their dominant position.

A court statement said today that Judge Sofia Gil Garcia ruled that the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and its European counterpart (UEFA) violated European Union law by preventing clubs from participating in a proposed new professional football tournament.

In her ruling, Gil Garcia ordered FIFA and UEFA to immediately reverse any anti-competitive measures committed in the past.

A22 Sports Development Company, which was established to help create the European Super League, filed a lawsuit against the Spanish Football Federation, the Spanish League, FIFA and UEFA, which banned participation in the Super League.

“The era of monopoly has now ended once and for all,” A22 CEO Bernd Reichart said in a statement after the ruling, describing it as “an important step towards a truly competitive and sustainable football landscape for clubs in Europe.”

Reichart added that UEFA has stifled innovation for decades, and clubs should not “be afraid of threats of sanctions just for having ideas and conversations.”

Garcia’s ruling came after a similar ruling issued by the European Court of Justice last December.

The Spanish League insisted, in a statement issued today, that the ruling does not explicitly support the establishment of the Super League.

The proposal to establish the tournament in 2021 by 12 major clubs in Europe sparked widespread protests among fans, and threats from UEFA to impose sanctions, which led to the withdrawal of 9 of them.

A22 said that the monopolistic position of FIFA and UEFA violates European Union law on competition and freedom of movement.

The European Court of Justice ruled against UEFA and FIFA, although it did not comment specifically on whether the Super League could go ahead.

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus, along with 9 other major European clubs, announced the plan to launch the tournament in April 2021.

But the project collapsed within 48 hours, after public protests forced Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Milan, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid to withdraw.