Real, Barca and Juve stand firm on Super League
UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against the three club on Tuesday but the team said they rejected the "insistent coercion" the body has maintained while the matter is still in court.
26 May, 2021 23:01 IST
UEFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Real Madrid, Juventus and Barcelona on Tuesday. - REUTERS
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus released a joint statement on Wednesday saying they would not bow down to pressure from European football governing body UEFA to put an end to their attempts to launch a breakaway Super League.
The clubs are the only three of the original 12 to have not distanced themselves from the project following fierce criticism from fans, football governing bodies and even governments.
A Madrid court has asked the European Court of Justice to establish if FIFA and UEFA are breaching EU competition law by preventing clubs from creating a breakaway European Super League.
READ | UEFA opens disciplinary proceedings against Real, Barca and Juve
"This alarming attitude constitutes a flagrant breach of the decision of the courts of justice, which have already made a clear statement warning UEFA to refrain from taking any action that could penalise the founding club of the Super League while the legal proceedings are ongoing," the statement read.
"Therefore, the opening of disciplinary proceedings by UEFA is incomprehensible and is a direct attack against the rule of law... while constituting a lack of respect toward the authority of the courts of justice themselves.
"Instead of exploring ways of modernizing football through open dialogue, UEFA expects us to withdraw the ongoing court proceedings that question their monopoly over European football."
The Super League was launched with 12 clubs as founding members but Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid have since backed out and reached a deal with UEFA.