Football: Real Madrid FC Sues UEFA
By Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw
It has been reported, on 23 November 2025, that Real Madrid FC (the club) is suing UEFA, the governing body of association football in Europe, regarding the controversial European Super League project and the ruling by the European Court of Justice (CJEU) on 21 December 2023 (Case C-333/21).
The case came before the CJEU on a preliminary reference from the Madrid Commercial Court for a ruling on the interpretation of EU law) under Article 267 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
The CJEU ruled that the FIFA and UEFA rules, which have the effect of blocking the formation of a rival competition, such as the European Super League (ESL), were contrary to EU competition law under Articles 101 and 102 TFEU .
The case was referred back to the Madrid Court, which ordered FIFA and UEFA to cease the anticompetitive conduct and, to the extent possible, remove the effects of the actions carried out in their opposition to the ESL, including public announcements, disciplinary proceedings, or any other equivalent measures. The Madrid Court judgment became final on 24 June 2024.
As a result, the club is now claiming almost €4.5 billion in damages in respect of lost profits and reputational harm and the President, Florentino Perez, has stated:
“The Super League is essential. We have brought down a monopoly regime that lasted more than 60 years in record time.”
And added:
“In 2021, UEFA threatened to expel clubs. And they opened disciplinary proceedings to expel us from the Champions League. Today, with devastating rulings, the situation is radically different. In the face of these rulings, La Liga and UEFA are downplaying the importance.”
It will be very interesting to see what results from these latest legal proceedings.
Prof Dr Ian Blackshaw may be contacted by e-mail at ‘
