In the first step of what is likely going to be a long process, UEFA has named their inspectors to look into possible infractions committed by Juventus, Real Madrid, and Juventus related to the creation of the Super League. The other nine founding members previously agreed to relinquish 5 percent of the income generated by international competitions, while the three aforementioned clubs refused to abandon the breakaway competition.
The Federation stated in its release: “In accordance with Article 31(4) of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations, UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors have today been appointed to conduct a disciplinary investigation regarding potential violations of UEFA’s legal framework by Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus in connection with the so-called Super League project. Further information regarding this matter will be made available in due course.”
According to the New York Times, this initial phase could last two-to-four weeks before the start of the real probe. The maximum punishment for the three rebel teams is a two-year ban from the Champions League. However, they are set to appeal any ruling in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. They intend to pursue a legal battle to challenge the UEFA monopoly on the management of the sport that, in their opinion, denies the clubs’ rights to conduct business as they please.
Serie A presidents met yesterday to begin the peace talks after the attempted schism. The resignation of Milan president from his League’s position has been rejected, and Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta stated that the atmosphere was serene and that the Super League was a thing of the past. Torino owner Urbano Cairo instead pointed out that Juventus president Andrea Agnelli has not publicly taken a step back, differently from other executives.