The Manchester City award is out. At 175 pages, it is enormous. We all – sports lawyers, journalists and fans – will need a while to read and process it properly. But here is a breakdown of some key points that stand out.

RT @MaduroPoiares: @JanZglinski The hard thing for UEFA is that A22 does not need to have any team signing up before UEFA having to authori….

Together with the other benefits outlined by Unify (free streaming, more solidarity payments etc.), this could become a headache for UEFA.

The problem here is: the teams making it through the later stages of UEFA’s own Champions League also increasingly come from the big 5 leagues. This isn’t great for European representation and competitive balance either.

Strategy 2: UEFA can try to argue that the Unify League violates some substantive criteria. For example: it is likely that only teams from the top 6 domestic leagues will play in the top tier (Star League). Doesn’t sound great for European representation and competitive balance.

UEFA can, of course, pretend its rules are fine and wait to be challenged in a new court case. But this is risky: if a judge would find the provision to be unlawful, Unify might have a claim for damages. A lot of money at stake.

Strategy 1: it can say that the Unify League ‘adversely affects the good functioning’ of the Champions League as clubs meant to play in the latter might join the former. This, however, breaches EU law. and the Unify people know it.

So now UEFA will have to decide, based on these Rules, whether to allow the Unify League. It, of course, wants to reject the request. But how?.

UEFA, too, has learned some lessons. It updated its Authorisation Rules for club competitions after the European Court’s ruling. The problem is: these still violate EU law. See my earlier thread here 👇.

Unify promises a competition for 96 teams, from 55 domestic leagues across Europe, free streaming for fans, more solidarity payments, and greater support for women’s football. These are all relevant benefits from a competition law perspective.

A22 has learned its (legal) lesson. The initial Superleague idea blatantly violated EU law by establishing a ‘closed shop’ for elite teams. The second proposal from 2023 had promotion and relegation for more teams, but was still far off the mark. The Unify League builds on that.

Let’s rewind: in 2023 the Court said that FIFA and UEFA cannot categorically block new football competitions. But it also said that any new competition must be compatible with the European Sports Model, i.e. protect sporting merit, solidarity, be open to clubs across Europe.

The inevitable has happened: a year after the European Court of Justice’s ruling, A22 has finally submitted a re-re-worked proposal for the European Super League. If (big if!) enough clubs sign up, there is legal trouble ahead for UEFA.

Werder Bremen have become second (professional) club in Germany to leave this platform. Decision taken by executive board. Statement does not mince words.

RT @werderbremen_en: 👋

RT @Ant1Duval: Join us on Wednesday (16:00-18:00 CET) for an exciting #ZoomIN webinar on the aftermath of the #Diarra judgement. @Marjola….

Great to see my work discussed @UKHouseofLords during the debate on the new Football Governance Bill. It’s a historic opportunity but we can do more: improve fan rights, governance standards and revenue distribution.

RT @MiguelDelaney: My book, ‘States of Play’, is out now. It is really a modern history of football, and how it has been transformed by t….

RT @LSELaw: A new report from @JanZglinski and @fairsqprojects "How the EU can reform sports governance: a policy brief" .

Is It Time To Reform FIFA?. In a recent report, @fairsqprojects and I argue the answer is yes. Football governance must – and can – be overhauled. Great to see our work discussed here by @samindrakunti for @Forbes.