UEFA makes decision regarding Real Madrid and Juventus for leading ESL - Reports
Real Madrid and Juventus played a leading role in the now suspended European Super League, and UEFA have come to a decision regarding the two club’s future in UEFA competitions.
According to JuveFC via AS, UEFA has decided not to sanction Juventus and Real Madrid for their role in the ESL. The announcement will come as a relief for both sets of fans, as the Bianconeri and Los Blancos could have been banned from the UEFA competitions due to their actions.
A new European Super League was announced last Sunday, with 12 clubs from the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A joining hands to form an alternative to the UEFA Champions League.
Apart from Real Madrid and Juventus, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona were the clubs involved.
It was initially claimed that the ESL would help the clubs deal with the financial repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, owing to the tremendous backlash from fans and governing bodies, Premier League clubs began exiting the setup within 48 hours of the announcement and the ESL eventually collapsed.
Because Juventus and Real Madrid were the ones leading the movement, it was expected that UEFA would come down hard on both clubs. During a virtual meeting, UEFA contemplated taking action against both clubs.
However, it was finally decided that Real Madrid would not be kicked out of the Champions League this season, while no steps would be taken against Juventus either.
According to reports, UEFA can initiate a legal complaint against the clubs that attempted to start a rival league. However, they will not be able to legally kick the clubs out this season.
Interestingly, if UEFA attempt to remove Real Madrid and the other rebel teams from this season’s Champions League, they would face the wrath of television operators too. Juventus, incidentally, are no longer involved in the tournament, having exited in the Round of 16.
Juventus and Real Madrid enduring contrasting seasons so far
Juventus have almost surrendered their Serie A title to Inter Milan this season and, after drawing 1-1 against Florentina on Sunday, are not yet guaranteed a top-four finish this season.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, continue to be in the La Liga title race and are also in the Champions League semi-finals where they face Chelsea on Tuesday.