Sport

European Super League ruling puts football’s future up for grabs with Saudi money looming

Ruling by EU’s top court has undermined the power of Uefa, and opened the door to a new model for the business of football

Manchester City players celebrate their win after the Uefa Champions League Final match against FC Internazionale Milano at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, in June. Picture: Getty

Real Madrid’s billionaire president Florentino Pérez is a sober man. He typically wears dark grey or navy suits. Sometimes, he changes it up by wearing funereal black. He’s not given to exuberant displays, but on Thursday he was in jubilant mood, welcoming a decision by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) about the fate of the breakaway European Super League with “enormous satisfaction”.

The ECJ’s 15 Grand Chamber judges decided Uefa and Fifa’s rules blocking ...