The 12 sides involved in the breakaway Super League have confirmed they have already started legal proceedings to prevent any plans from the likes of FIFA or UEFA to block their involvement in the new competition.
UEFA recently warned any side planning to join the Super League that they are prepared to take legal action to ensure they cannot leave the current pyramid, adding that teams and players involved in the Super League could face expulsion from domestic leagues and international competitions.
UEFA, the English Football Association, the Premier League, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), LaLiga, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Lega Serie A have today released a statement.
— UEFA (@UEFA) April 18, 2021
Read it in full here: ?
Well, it seems as though the Super League clubs aren't exactly happy about that (apparently they do have feelings after all), and the Associated Press note that club officials have written to FIFA president Gianni Infantino and UEFA counterpart Aleksander Ceferin to threaten their own legal action.
“We are concerned that FIFA and UEFA may respond to this invitation letter by seeking to take punitive measures to exclude any participating club or player from their respective competitions,” the Super League clubs wrote in their letter.
“Your formal statement does, however, compel us to take protective steps to secure ourselves against such an adverse reaction, which would not only jeopardize the funding commitment under the Grant but, significantly, would be unlawful. For this reason, SLCo (Super League Company) has filed a motion before the relevant courts in order to ensure the seamless establishment and operation of the Competition in accordance with applicable laws.
“It is our duty, as SLCo’s board members, to ensure that all reasonable actions available to protect the interests of the Competition and our stakeholders are duly taken, given the irreparable damage that would be suffered if, for any reason, we were deprived of the opportunity to form promptly the Competition and distribute the proceeds of the Grant."
The letter also urged FIFA and UEFA not to see the Super League as a rival to the current format, but instead just a happy new addition.
? The official statement of the ‘ESL’ (European Super League)... pic.twitter.com/wIaHSFiShG
— 90min (@90min_Football) April 19, 2021
“The Competition is to be played alongside existing domestic league and cup competitions, which are a key part of European football’s competitive fabric,” the letter continued. “We do not seek to replace UEFA’s Champions League or the Europa League but to compete with and exist alongside those tournaments."
The Super League plans to launch a 20-team competition with 15 founding members, but as of yet, only 12 have signed up. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, Juventus and Inter have all said yes, but giants like Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain both snubbed the chance to join in.
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Source: 90min
