The first session of “Thursday Law at CUNEF Universidad” focused on the legal challenges posed by the European Super League

Last Thursday, 17 October, the Auditorium of CUNEF Universidad hosted the conference “The legal challenges posed by the Super League”, attended by more than 80 students, professors and legal practitioners. The speakers analysed the rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the Commercial Court of Madrid, which ruled that FIFA and UEFA’s abuse of their dominant position in terms of regulation and organisation of football competitions, which is preventing another alternative by the Super League, is illegal. Participants highlighted the following findings:

• Europe is moving towards a sports model that stands for competition, as the CJEUs scrutiny goes beyond the Super League itself.
• Competition makes football in particular, and sports competitions in general, more attractive and interesting.
• FIFA and UEFA are private law associations that hold monopoly positions in Europe, since they regulate, organise and decide football competitions.
• The legal conflict has drawn attention to the relevance of preliminary rulings as a mechanism to enforce European Union law, since national judges, the CJEU itself, and all the member states have participated in the legal debate.

The session was attended by Fernando Irurzun, partner in charge of the Litigation and Arbitration Department of Clifford Chance in Spain, Santiago Soldevila, High Court Judge, Almudena Pérez-Zurita Gutiérrez, State Attorney and Agent of the Kingdom of Spain before the CJEU, and Andrés Betancor, Director of the Department of Law at CUNEF Universidad.

This is the first session on current legal topics of the cycle “Thursday Law at CUNEF Universidad”, aimed at students and legal practitioners. The following sessions will be held during the fall term this academic year:

• 14.11.2024 | “Artificial Intelligence and Law: challenges and advantages”, with Leonardo Cervera and Ruth del Campo.
• 12.12.2024 | “Bad and excessive regulation: A threat to legal certainty?”, with Ignacio Astarloa, Ignacio Díez-Picazo and Encarnación Roca.