European Super League ban unlawful, says court

Uefa and Fifa rules banning clubs joining breakaway competitions like the European Super League are unlawful, the European Court of Justice has ruled.

A ruling on Thursday from Europe's highest court found against the governing bodies.

An initial report released last December by the ECJ said the rules of football's European and world governing bodies were "compatible with EU competition law".

However, the verdict will be seen as a blow to the authority of Uefa and Fifa and how they govern the game.

The report said that when new competitions are "potentially entering the market" Fifa and Uefa must ensure their powers are "transparent, objective, non-discriminatory and proportionate".

The report adds: "However, the powers of Fifa and Uefa are not subject to any such criteria. Fifa and Uefa are, therefore, abusing a dominant position.

"Moreover, given their arbitrary nature, their rules on approval, control and sanctions must be held to be unjustified restrictions on the freedom to provide services.

"That does not mean that a competition such as the Super League project must necessarily be approved. The Court does not rule on that specific project in its judgment."

More to follow.