Governing Bodies
Barca, Madrid and Juventus get legal backing to continue with Super League
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus said on Friday (July 30) they will continue with plans for a European Super League after a court ruled that governing body Uefa terminate disciplinary proceedings against founding members of the breakaway project.
The three clubs released a joint statement welcoming a Madrid court’s decision on Friday asking Uefa to revoke action against them for planning the creation of the Super League.
Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid are the last ones standing of the 12 clubs that signed up to the breakaway project in April, only for it to unravel when six Premier League clubs plus Inter Milan, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid withdrew.
The 17th Mercantile Court of Madrid ordered that all financial and sporting penalties against the founding members of the Super League were dropped, including the potential €100 million (S$160 million) non-compliance penalty for the nine clubs who backed out of the project should they rejoin it, as they agreed with Uefa.
“The Court backs the request made by the promoters of the European Super League, dismisses Uefa’s appeal, and confirms its warning to Uefa that failure to comply with its ruling shall result in fines and potential criminal liability,” the clubs said.
“The case will be assessed by the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, which shall review Uefa’s monopolistic position over European football… We are pleased that going forward we will no longer be subject to ongoing Uefa threats.
“Our aim is to keep developing the Super League project in a constructive and cooperative manner… We remain confident in the success of a project that will be always compliant with European Union laws.”
Uefa declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.
The Court also ordered that Uefa requests that the Premier League and Italian Football Federation cancel all measures taken against the clubs from their leagues.
This includes the £22 million(S$40 million) “good-will payment” and threat of a future 30-point deduction to the Premier League’s “Big Six”, issued on June 9.
The Italian FA had said they would ban Italian sides who participate in any future Super League from competing in the country’s top division, Serie A.
The judgment also said the Premier League and Italian FA must abstain from putting in place any measures that might, directly or indirectly, hinder the founding of a European Super League.
Unlike in the Champions League, where teams have to qualify through the domestic league, the founding Super League teams guaranteed themselves a place in the new competition every year.
The Super League argued it would boost revenue for top clubs and allow them to distribute more money to the rest of the game.
However, the sport’s governing bodies, other teams and fan organisations countered that it would increase the power and wealth of the elite clubs and the partially-closed structure of the league went against European football’s long-standing model.
Seeking to dissuade future breakaways, Uefa had sought to impose stiff penalties on the rebel clubs but suspended disciplinary proceedings in June.
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus have continued to defend the Super League plan, releasing joint statements in May complaining of unacceptable third-party pressures and threats to abandon the project.
Despite their involvement in the proposed European Super League, the three clubs have been admitted to the 2021-22 Champions League.
-Reuters
FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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