Real Madrid’s legal team, together with the lawyers representing A22—the company behind the Super League—are preparing a massive lawsuit against UEFA seeking compensation for “damages suffered,” which, according to sources consulted by this newspaper, could reach nearly €4.5 billion. The figure reflects not only financial losses and lost profits but also significant reputational damage.

With this move, both Real Madrid and A22 have shifted their approach, opting to go on the offensive after nearly a dozen failed attempts to reach a settlement that would comply with the European Court of Justice (CJEU) ruling from December 2021. That ruling determined that “FIFA and UEFA rules requiring prior authorization for football competitions such as the Super League violate EU law due to abuse of dominant position and restriction of market competition.”

Club presidents Florentino Pérez and Joan Laporta were kept fully informed throughout the discussions between A22 and UEFA, represented respectively by Bernd Reichart (A22 CEO) and Teodoro Teodoridis (UEFA General Secretary). Also present were Anas Laghrari for Real Madrid and Fernando Ledesma for Barcelona.

Although early talks showed promise regarding the competition’s broadcasting and management model, negotiations collapsed over disagreements about the tournament format.

Ultimately, both Real Madrid and A22 concluded that UEFA had no real intention of reaching an agreement but rather sought to delay proceedings and stall the Super League project. As a result, they now see the damages lawsuit as the most viable path forward—consistent with how other monopoly-related disputes are handled within the European Union.

A relevant precedent can be found in the CJEU’s recent decision upholding the €2.424 billion fine imposed by the European Commission on Google for favoring its product comparison service, Google Shopping, over competitors. That case, which took more than six years to resolve, serves as a powerful example of how EU law treats abuses of market dominance—something Real Madrid and A22’s legal teams could use as a reference in their claim.

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