A Spanish judge of Madrid’s 17th court claimed that nine of the 12 clubs originally involved in the formation of a breakaway league (European Super League), before removing themselves from proceedings, have not officially left the project.
This comes from iusport, following the nine sides’ – including several Premier League outfits in Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea, and Arsenal – public withdrawal from the Super League.
“The Superliga project continues with the participation of all the founding clubs without the resignation of any founding club with legal effects,” Judge Ruiz de Lara stated (as translated by Google Translate). “The news or press releases referred to by the appellant are insufficient, as reason for its imprecision, for such purposes.”
A severe backlash from fans and pundits alike prompted a rethink, with Reds owner John W. Henry releasing an apology for involving Jurgen Klopp’s men in the plans in question.
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It seems likely that the matter will be taken up a step higher to the Court of Justice of the European Union, which will likely add further clarity to the issue.
How this will affect English clubs following Brexit is somewhat unclear, however, particularly regarding the potential influence of the court with regard to British outfits.
It does open the door for ESL hardliners Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus, though reentry into the breakaway league through a court ruling is far from likely to be received well by fans following the recent reaction.
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Isn’t the CJEU now classed as a ‘foreign court’ so the UK is no longer subject to its decisions?