Kulħadd jaf dwar is-Superleague u x’ġara ftit ġimgħat ilu. Kulħadd kien imwaħħal mal-mowbajl jew mat-tablet bil-lejl u bi nhar f’dawk l-24 siegħa li setgħu bidlu l-futbol Ewropew għal dejjem.

Kulħadd ikkritika lill-UEFA, jew lil Juventus, jew it-tnejn. Jien kont wieħed minnhom.

Kulħadd stenna li l-FIGC jew l-UEFA jissanzjonaw lill-Juventus. Għall-FIGC kienet tkun skuza oħra tajba bħal oħrajn. Kulħadd immeravilja ruħu meta ftit tal-jiem ilu, l-UEFA ħabbret li mhix se tfittex lil Juventus, Real u Barca. Hemm min qal għax tournament mingħajrhom ikun bla sens. Insomma, biex nispekulaw, kulħadd jieħu l-ewwel.

Hemm verita` li ftit jafu biha u naturalment l-awtoritajiet tal-futbol ma huma qatt ser jammettuha – legalment ma jistgħux.

Waħda mill-affarijiet tajbin li ġġib magħha l-Unjoni Ewropea hija ċ-ċertezza legali fil-blokk kollu. L-Unjoni Ewropea, hija kontra l-monopolji minħabba l-effett ħażin li monopolju jkollu fis-swieq.

Is-sena l-oħra rat lill-Qorti tal-Ġustizzja Ewropea tieħu deċiżjoni f’sitwazzjoni analoga. Fil-kawża T-93/18 International Skating Union vs Commission, fis-16 ta’ Diċembru 2020 ingħatat Sentenza mill-Qorti Ġenerali. Bħall-UEFA, l-International Skating Union hija l-entita` sportiva waħdanija li tieħu ħsieb figure skating u speed skating, taħt l-awspiċi ta’ l-International Olympic Committee. Kumpanija Koreana riedet tagħmel kompetizzjoni ġdida indipendenti ibbażata f’Dubai. Min kien bi żsiebu jipparteċipa f’din il-kompetizzjoni mhux awtorizzata kien mhedded b’sospensjoni għal għomru. Żewġ skaters Olandiżi kkontestaw l-International Skating Union, u l-Qorti Ewropea tathom raġun, billi dak li riedet l-International Skating Union kien jikser il-liġijiet Ewropej dwar il-kompetizzjoni.

Fil-qosor, jekk l-UEFA jew l-FIGC jippruvaw imissu lil Juventus jew il-plejers tagħna, dan huwa dak li jistennew mill-Qorti Ewropea. Xejn inqas u xejn iżjed.

Għalhekk nistagħġeb meta naqra li fl-Ingilterra, it-timijiet li daħlu għas-Superleague ftehmu li jħallsu bejniethom 20 miljun sterlina bħala ‘piena’ lill-F.A.  Pero`, terġa u tgħid, l-Ingliżi m’għadhomx fl-Unjoni Ewropea, u din waħda mill-konsegwenzi.

Reflections and Facts: Juventus – FIGC – UEFA – Superleague

Everybody heard of the Superleague and what happened a few weeks ago. Everybody was constantly checking his smartphone or tablet day and night during those 24 hours which could have changed European football forever.

Everybody was promptly criticizing UEFA or Juventus or both. I was one of them.

Everybody was expecting the FIGC or UEFA to sanction Juventus. For the FIGC this would have been another good excuse like many others before. Everybody was astonished, when a few days ago, UEFA declared it would not be sanctioning Juve, Real, and Barca. Some people said the reason was that a European tournament without these teams would be senseless. In other words, many were very quick and ready to speculate.

There is however one truth that very few know about and which the football authorities find it hard to admit…legally they cannot sanction the teams for such an initiative.
One of the positive aspects of the European Union is the legal certainty within all the member states. The EU is against monopoly because of the negative effect which it has on the international markets.
Last year, the European Court of Justice took a decision in a case similar to the one we are discussing. In case T-93/18 International Skating Union vs Commission, on the 16th of December 2020 the General Court pronounced a sentence that could be applied to the Superleague case. Just like UEFA, the International Skating Union is the only sporting body that is in charge of figure skating and speed skating under the -International Olympic Committee. In the case mentioned, a Korean company wanted to create a new independent competition based in Dubai. Those who were willing to participate in this new unauthorised competition were threatened with a lifetime suspension. Two Dutch skaters filed a case against the International Skating Union and the European Court ruled in their favour since what the International Skating Union was trying to do went against the European fair competition laws.

In short, if UEFA or FIGC try to sanction Juventus or their players, this is what they should expect from the EU. No more, no less.

This is why I was amazed to read that in England, the teams who were part of the Superleague agreed to pay 20 million sterling to the FA as a “punishment” However, one then realizes that England is no longer part of the EU and this is one of the consequences.