Nadine Dorries or Jacob Rees-Mogg? Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk? Uefa or the European Super League? Yes, sometimes life seems like a succession of Hobson’s choices.

Last week the European court of justice (ECJ) ruled that Uefa, which oversees European football, and the game’s global body, Fifa, acted unlawfully in threatening sanctions against players and clubs that joined the European Super League (ESL) in 2021. In April of that year, 12 of Europe’s biggest clubs announced the creation of the ESL, a lucrative new competition to rival Uefa’s Champions League, promising clubs even more riches but also freedom from the possibilities of relegation, thereby making those riches permanent.

Six English clubs were part of the original ESL cohort – Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs. Within days, a huge backlash from fans, national governments and existing football organisations, forced all but three to pull out. The three remaining clubs – Barcelona and Real Madrid from Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Juventus – brought a court case against Uefa and Fifa. Last week they largely won.

The ECJ did not suggest that “a competition such as the Super League project must necessarily be approved”. But Uefa and Fifa had to allow competition rather than “abusing a dominant position”. The possibilities of an ESL-like body are in play again. Indeed, straight after the ruling, the ESL published plans for a new, even more ambitious form of the Super League.

Such a league is unlikely to happen, unless with the participation of Uefa. But were it to do so, most fans would abhor it.........

© The Guardian