Madrid, Spain – October 30, 2025 – Real Madrid, alongside promoters of the controversial European Super League, are seeking more than $4 billion in damages from UEFA, Europe's governing body for football. The claim accuses UEFA of unlawfully obstructing the breakaway competition through anti-competitive practices. A source close to the matter confirmed the demand to Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Thursday, marking a significant escalation in the long-running legal battle over the future of European club football.
The demand comes one day after a Spanish court in Madrid dismissed UEFA's appeal in the case on Wednesday, October 29. The ruling sided firmly with the Super League's organizers, reinforcing prior judicial decisions that UEFA's actions violated European Union competition laws. This development clears a major hurdle for the Super League backers to pursue financial compensation, potentially reshaping the economic landscape of the sport.
The Super League was first announced in April 2021 by 12 of Europe's elite clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, and several Premier League giants such as Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal. The project promised a midweek competition featuring guaranteed spots for founding members, higher revenues through centralized broadcasting deals, and a structure independent of UEFA's Champions League. Proponents argued it would inject billions into the game, benefiting clubs strained by the COVID-19 pandemic's financial impacts.
However, the initiative imploded within 48 hours amid widespread outrage. Fans protested vehemently, viewing it as a closed-shop elitist venture that undermined merit-based qualification and the pyramid structure of football. English clubs faced particular backlash, with supporters organizing demonstrations outside stadiums and threatening boycotts. UEFA and FIFA responded swiftly with threats of bans for participating clubs and players, including exclusion from domestic leagues and international tournaments like the World Cup. By April 20, 2021, nine clubs had withdrawn, leaving only Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus as holdouts.
The legal fight began almost immediately. Super League organizers, backed by A22 Sports Management—a Madrid-based company formed to develop the project—challenged UEFA and FIFA in courts across Europe. The pivotal moment arrived on December 21, 2023, when the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg delivered a landmark ruling. The Grand Chamber of the ECJ determined that UEFA and FIFA's prior authorization requirements for new competitions constituted an abuse of dominant position under Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The court stated that such rules restricted free competition without objective justification, effectively granting UEFA a monopoly over international club football.
Building on the ECJ verdict, a commercial court in Madrid ruled in favor of the Super League in 2024. The judge accused UEFA and FIFA of "preventing free competition" and engaging in "anti-competitive conduct." This included blocking the Super League's launch through sanctions and coercive measures. The latest decision on Wednesday rejected appeals not only from UEFA but also from La Liga (Spain's top domestic league) and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). By dismissing these appeals, the court has effectively greenlit the path for damages claims, estimating losses in broadcasting rights, sponsorships, and other revenue streams that the Super League could have generated.
A22 Sports Management, led by CEO Bernd Reichart, expressed frustration with UEFA's stance in a statement issued Thursday. "Despite months of discussions and invitations to collaborate on meaningful reform, UEFA has refused to engage constructively," the company said. "We regret this position but have no other choice than to seek full compensation for the substantial damages caused to clubs, players, broadcasters, sponsors, and fans across Europe." Reichart himself emphasized the broader implications: "After years of legal proceedings, UEFA can no longer ignore binding court decisions. By abusing their monopoly and preventing new initiatives, they have caused substantial damages to numerous clubs, players, and other stakeholders across Europe."
The damages figure exceeds $4 billion, according to the AFP source, though exact breakdowns remain confidential pending formal filings. This sum reportedly accounts for projected lost earnings from the 2021-2022 season onward, including television deals that could have rivaled UEFA's Champions League broadcasts, which generate around €3.5 billion annually. Real Madrid, as one of the primary litigants, has been vocal in its pursuit. In an official club statement released Thursday, the 15-time European champions hailed the ruling as "a significant legal victory that confirms UEFA has seriously infringed the European Union's free competition rules by abusing its dominant position."
"The club will continue to defend the interests of football and its fans worldwide, while claiming the substantial damages corresponding to the harm caused by UEFA," Real Madrid added. Club president Florentino Pérez, a key architect of the original Super League, has long criticized UEFA's model, arguing it favors a small group of wealthy clubs while stifling innovation. Barcelona and Juventus have echoed similar sentiments, though Juventus officially withdrew from the project in 2023 amid internal pressures.
UEFA, headquartered in Nyon, Switzerland, pushed back strongly against the interpretation of the rulings. In a detailed statement provided to AFP on Thursday, the organization insisted that its regulatory framework remains intact. "This ruling does not validate the so-called 'Super League' project announced in April 2021 and abandoned shortly thereafter," UEFA stated. "Nor does it call into question UEFA's authorization rules for club competitions, which were adopted in June 2022 and updated in 2024. These rules remain fully in force and ensure that any new cross-border competition is pre-authorised based on objective, transparent, non-discriminatory, and proportionate criteria."
UEFA pointed to its post-ECJ reforms, including a more open qualification system for the Champions League starting in the 2024-2025 season, with 36 teams and a Swiss-model league phase. The body also highlighted ongoing dialogues with stakeholders, including the European Club Association (ECA), which represents over 200 clubs and opposes the Super League. ECA chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is also Paris Saint-Germain's president, has repeatedly called the Super League "dead."
The case has far-reaching implications beyond finances. It touches on fundamental questions of governance in European sports. Critics of UEFA argue that its control over competitions, referee appointments, and revenue distribution creates conflicts of interest. Supporters, however, credit UEFA with maintaining competitive balance through financial fair play rules and solidarity payments to smaller leagues, totaling over €300 million annually.
A22 has proposed a revamped Super League format in recent months, featuring 64 teams across three tiers (Star, Gold, and Blue Leagues), with promotion and relegation, no permanent members, and free streaming for fans. The company claims over 20 clubs have expressed interest, though none have publicly committed. Broadcasters like DAZN and Relevent Sports are reportedly involved in discussions.
Legal experts predict the damages phase could drag on for years, potentially reaching the ECJ again. Compensation would need to prove direct causation—linking UEFA's actions to quantifiable losses. Precedents in EU competition law, such as fines against Google or Microsoft, suggest multibillion-euro awards are possible, but sports cases are rarer.
Fan groups remain opposed. The Football Supporters Europe network issued a statement Thursday reiterating that "football belongs to the fans, not billionaires." In England, the Premier League has implemented rules requiring shareholder approval for breakaway involvement.
As the saga continues, the $4 billion claim underscores the high stakes. Real Madrid's persistence signals that the Super League, though dormant, is far from buried. UEFA, meanwhile, vows to defend its model vigorously. For now, the ball is in the courts, with the beautiful game's structure hanging in the balance.
This ruling and demand could inspire similar challenges in other sports, from basketball to cycling, where governing bodies hold similar sway. European football, valued at over €30 billion in annual revenues, stands at a crossroads between tradition and commercialization.
