UEFA says that it is dropping its disciplinary case against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus over their involvement in the controversial European Super League, to comply with a ruling from a Madrid court.European football’s governing body said late Monday that “the proceedings (are) null and void, as if the proceedings had never been opened”.It is the latest chapter in an affair that sent shockwaves through football.The UCL is dead and the war is declared! Top European clubs have agreed on a new Super LeagueThe three heavyweight clubs were among 12 “founders” who caused uproar in April with their proposal for the elite breakaway league.The nine others quickly backed down when fans and other clubs reacted with fury to the initiative, but Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus have refused to buckle.UEFA, which had been pursuing the three clubs over what it called a potential violation of UEFA’s legal framework, also said that it “will not request payment” from the other nine clubs including English sides Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.The Premier League clubs had agreed to pay a combined 30 million USD as a gesture of “goodwill” over the affair. The other three clubs among the 12 were Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Inter Milan.Tue, 28/9, 22.00: (1.13) REAL MADRID (10.00) SHERIFF (23.00)Experts say that the notion of a Super League is by no means dead in the water and Barcelona president Joan Laporta recently warned that the Super League was “still alive”. He said that the Super League would mean “financial sustainability for the clubs and make for a more attractive competition”.UEFA on Monday signalled its intention to continue fighting its corner.”UEFA will continue to take all necessary steps, in strict accordance with national and EU law, in order to defend the interests of UEFA and of all football stakeholders,” it said.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Juventus president Andrea Agnelli has defended his role in the European Super League project in an open letter to fans.“In order to run a club in a healthy and credible manner, you cannot base your approach on an obsolete structural system, at the risk of bringing about the generalised downsizing of the entire sector – the worst possible scenario for football, the most popular sport in the world.”, portion of the statement read.“For years, the conversation has been about Generation Z – its values and its needs. The post-COVID-19 world belongs to this generation, which encompasses people between the ages of 12 and 21.Wed, 29/9, 22.00: (4.10) JUVENTUS (3.50) CHELSEA (2.00)Football must continue to play a central role in their free time, within their mix of interests. The opportunities offered by the digital revolution can certainly help to bring these young people closer to our sport. Viewed within this context, the debate around and criticism of the notion of accessing live matches from different devices to the traditional television are anachronistic and will be left in the past. In the digitalised world, users have incredible power of choice. This cannot be ignored. Users will make decisions based on their preferences and the values that they identify with.“This isn’t the right forum to rehash the reasons for the birth of the Super League, but it is an appropriate opportunity to inform you that this new competition, which aims to offer the world the best football spectacle ever seen, has essential values embedded into his regulations, with the aim of guaranteeing stability for the football industry.”Wed, 29/9, 22.00: (2.90) BENFICA (3.35) BARCELONA (2.60)© Agence France-Presse
