Real Madrid announced plans to claim substantial damages from UEFA following a Spanish court ruling that upheld a decision against the governing body's actions on the Super League. The Provincial Court of Madrid dismissed appeals by UEFA, the RFEF, and La Liga, confirming anti-competitive behavior in banning the breakaway league. This comes after a 2023 European Court of Justice decision deeming such bans unlawful.
The ruling, issued on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, by the Provincial Court of Madrid, upheld a May 2024 commercial court decision. It found that UEFA, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), and La Liga had engaged in anti-competitive practices and abused their dominant position by prohibiting clubs from joining the European Super League.
Real Madrid, one of the original 12 clubs that backed the Super League project in April 2021, issued a statement welcoming the decision. "Real Madrid welcomes the decision by the regional court of Madrid to dismiss the appeals lodged by Uefa, the RFEF and La Liga, confirming that Uefa, in the matter of the Super League, seriously infringed European Union competition rules in line with the CJEU ruling, abusing its dominant position," the club said. "This ruling paves the way for the club to claim substantial damages from Uefa."
The Super League initiative collapsed within 72 hours of its announcement due to backlash from fans, governments, and other leagues. Among the 12 founding clubs were six from the English Premier League—Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham—along with Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, and AC Milan. UEFA fined several clubs, but proceedings against Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus were paused during legal challenges. Juventus has since indicated plans to withdraw.
UEFA responded that the judgment "does not validate the abandoned ‘super league’ project announced in 2021, nor does it undermine Uefa’s current authorisation rules, adopted in 2022 and updated in 2024." The organization emphasized that its rules ensure cross-border competitions are assessed on objective, transparent, non-discriminatory, and proportionate criteria, and it plans to review the judgment before further steps.
La Liga president Javier Tebas stated: "This ruling does not in any way represent an endorsement of the Super League or any other format. It merely reiterates that regulations must be applied with transparency and objectivity."
The December 2023 European Court of Justice ruling had already declared UEFA's prior regulations on new competitions unlawful, prompting updates to its rules. Analysts note that with only Real Madrid and Barcelona remaining as proponents, a Super League revival is unlikely, and the case may focus on compensation. Further appeals to Spain's supreme court are possible, potentially delaying any damages claim.