Real Madrid declares legal war on UEFA over competition rules

October 31, 2025 Oliver Obel

According to the Financial Times, Real Madrid believes it has lost between €4.5 billion and €4.7 billion in potential revenues since UEFA halted the European Super League project in 2021. Those figures, drawn from documents prepared by experts working with the club, include lost matchday, broadcast, and commercial income.

The provincial court of Madrid recently upheld a previous decision confirming that UEFA’s actions “seriously breached” EU competition law. The court ruled that UEFA, alongside La Liga and Spain’s football federation (RFEF), misused its dominant market position when it vetoed the Super League four years ago.

The ruling builds on a 2023 European Court of Justice (CJEU) judgment, which found that UEFA’s rules penalizing clubs for joining rival competitions violated EU law on free competition.

Pérez leads the charge

Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez has been one of the fiercest defenders of the Super League project. The club said in a statement that the ruling “paves the way for substantial claims to compensate for the damages suffered,” with Pérez reportedly preparing to file a claim exceeding €4 billion in the coming weeks.

The original Super League plan, launched in April 2021, envisioned a 20-team competition with 15 permanent members — including Real Madrid and England’s “big six” — and five rotating clubs. The project collapsed within 72 hours amid backlash from fans, national associations, and political leaders across Europe.

A22’s renewed push for reform

A22 Sports Management, the company behind the Super League, has since rebranded the concept as the Unify League, promoting a four-tier system involving 96 clubs and open competition based on performance.
In a statement to GMS, A22 said it was “dedicated to advancing the interests of European club football through innovation and cooperation” and would also seek compensation from UEFA for damages caused by years of delays.

Chief executive Bernd Reichart accused UEFA of maintaining a “monopoly” that restricted competition and innovation. “By abusing their market control, they have caused substantial harm to clubs, players, and other stakeholders,” he said.

UEFA pushes back

UEFA, led by president Aleksander Čeferin, has pushed back strongly, saying the Madrid judgment “does not validate the abandoned Super League project announced in 2021.”

In a statement, UEFA said that its competition authorization rules — updated in 2022 and 2024 — “remain fully in force” and ensure that any cross-border events are reviewed according to “objective, transparent, non-discriminatory, and proportionate criteria.”

UEFA said it would review the court judgment before deciding on further legal action. According to the Financial Times, two people close to the case said UEFA may appeal to Spain’s Supreme Court, which could delay Real Madrid’s damages claim until a final ruling is reached.

La Liga responds

La Liga president Javier Tebas, a long-time critic of the Super League, quickly dismissed any notion that the ruling endorsed the breakaway project.
“This decision does not in any way represent an endorsement of the Super League or any other similar format,” Tebas said, renewing his feud with Real Madrid, the most successful club in the league’s history.

Defending the football pyramid

UEFA emphasized that it remains “firmly committed to the European sports model,” built on open competition, solidarity, and sporting merit — principles that underpin the continent’s football pyramid. The European Parliament also recently reiterated its opposition to “breakaway competitions” that could undermine domestic leagues.

For now, Real Madrid’s legal action marks a dramatic escalation in a conflict that has divided European football for years. Whether the case leads to compensation — or sparks another round of legal battles — may ultimately determine who controls the future of the European game.

Sources: Financial Times, Reuters, BBC, AP, GMS, Spanish media reports.