Uefa has rejected the demands of a Madrid court to revoke its action against the 12 founding members of the European Super League and is confident of seeing off the legal challenge at the European Court of Justice.
The judge in Madrid made an order on Friday stating that Uefa must publish on its website that it will drop all financial and sporting penalties. He also ordered Uefa to tell the Premier League and Italy’s FA to drop all action taken against the English and Italian clubs involved.
A source close to the European governing body has told The Times there is no intention of carrying out the order and that its actions will be fully justified by the European court.
Uefa is also unconcerned about reports that the ESL is now planning to revamp the breakaway competition so that it is not a closed tournament.
“The Super League idea is dead,” said another source. “The fans killed it and there is not going to be a resurrection.”
In May, nine of the 12 ESL founder clubs, including England’s ‘Big Six’, agreed a deal with Uefa under which they agreed to contribute 15 million euro (£13 million) to youth and grassroots football, and to forfeit 5 per cent of Uefa competition revenue for one season.
The Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ agreed last month to make a combined goodwill payment of just over £22 million to support grassroots and community projects, and that if any one of those clubs attempted such a move again they would be docked 30 points and fined £25 million.
Both Uefa and the Premier League agreed those settlements with the rebel clubs rather than imposed sanctions.
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.
Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga and a Uefa executive committee member, dismissed the Madrid judge’s decision as “a joke” despite Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus insisting they will push ahead with plans for an ESL.
“It’s the same judge as always, so he was always going to rule in a similar fashion,” said Tebas. “There’s a lot of jokes going on in that court.”
The Madrid court statement warns any breach of its injunction could lead to fines or criminal charges, however its jurisdiction over Uefa is also in doubt given that it is based in Switzerland which is not part of the European Union.
Last month the ECJ rejected a request from the ESL for an expedited decision in the case, a development which appeared to significantly derail the Super League project.