Brussels, July 8 (BNA) Next week, UEFA and FIFA will seek to convince Europe’s top court that they have the right to ban clubs from joining a breakaway league and punish players in a case that could break their monopoly power and lucrative media. rights.
The row between UEFA, FIFA and the European Premier League has ramifications for other sports, clubs and players who look to the lucrative deals offered by rebel bodies and hope to make money during relatively short careers, Reuters reports.
It was announced in April last year, the collapse of the European League in less than 48 hours after the protests of fans, governments and players that forced Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid. pull out.
But Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are still disabled. The Premier League took its complaint to a Spanish court which then sought guidance from the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
The dispute revolves around whether certain provisions in the FIFA and UEFA laws allowing them to ban competing events are consistent with the European Union’s competition rules against companies or bodies abusing their dominance.
CJEU will also have to decide whether the two bodies’ threat to bar clubs and players from participating in the Premier League or banning them from participating in national team matches is an abuse of their power.
The media rights of UEFA and FIFA in competition is also another issue for the court during the July 11-12 hearing. A ruling is expected next year or later.
UEFA previously said it remained confident of its position in all relevant jurisdictions. “We are confident that the European Court of Justice will correctly interpret EU competition law and the current precedent,” the European Association representative said.
It’s time to make changes to the system, said Mark Ort of MEOlaw law firm.
“The current monopolistic situation of sports federations, which does not challenge competition but is supported by exclusive provisions that prevent the emergence of any kind of competition, is the source of many harmful developments in the world of sports,” he said.
“The question of ownership of media rights is the defining issue in every sport and defines the relationship between the federation and the club,” Orth said.
More than 20 European countries and the European Commission support UEFA and FIFA. The case is a C333/21 European Superleague Company.
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