When lawsuits take the trophy: Real Madrid roars for $4B from UEFA over the Super League saga
30 October 2025
Key developments
Real Madrid and A22 Sports Management, the promoter behind the abandoned European Super League, say they will pursue more than $4 billion in damages from UEFA, the European governing body, for allegedly harming clubs, players and other stakeholders.
Madrid’s Court of Appeal previously confirmed that UEFA “abused its dominant position” when attempting to block the competition, a move that nearly toppled European football in 2021 after a proposal from 12 elite clubs.
A22, in a statement, welcomed a “third successive ruling” that deemed UEFA’s monopoly illegal under European law, arguing the decision caused significant harm to many clubs and players.
UEFA said the ruling does not validate the abandoned Super League project and that current licensing rules adopted in 2022 and updated in 2024 remain in force, designed to assess cross-border competitions in an objective, transparent, non-discriminatory, and balanced manner.
A22 expressed regret that UEFA rejected settlement options and reforms despite months of discussion, noting they have no choice but to pursue compensation for the damages incurred.
However, the scope of impact remains unclear since the decision targets rules in place in 2021, which were amended the following year.
What comes next
Real Madrid celebrated the ruling as an important victory, with president Florentino Pérez arguing that the project is a priority to “save European football.” The club pointed to the decision as proof that UEFA breached the principles of free competition and opened the door to substantial compensation.
In their statement, Real Madrid said they had engaged in talks with UEFA in 2025 to seek more transparent governance, financial sustainability, and an improved fan experience, including free broadcast models globally as seen in the Club World Cup.
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin had previously spoken of unity within European football and argued that any meaningful change must come from within the European football family, not from external pressure.
The article notes that the new Champions League framework to be implemented next season aims to boost competitiveness and revenues without disturbing the sport’s balance and fairness.
Punchline time: Real Madrid’s legal team must be the only squad that trains by reading the fine print—lobbying, lawsuits, and coffee-fueled briefs included. Punchline two: if courtrooms awarded trophies, this case would have its own glittering, multi-million-yen green-and-gold case trophy by now.
