Any possible closed pan-European football league has been compared to basketball’s EuroLeague. This features 18 sides, with 11 having long-term licenses, guaranteeing their spots in perpetuity. The Union of European Leagues of Basketball (ULEB), the association of the 11 major basketball leagues in Europe, recently filed a complaint to the European Commission against the EuroLeague organisers. ULEB argues that the removal of spots for national league winners in the EuroLeague and the way media rights distribution favours the 11 clubs with franchises amounts to “anti-competitive behaviour” and the teams are acting as a cartel.
If the outcome of the case sides with ULEB, it could set a precedent that effectively means that any European Premier League could be stopped from getting off the ground.
“It has the potential to set a precedent whereby established leagues can take a competition law complaint against a breakaway,” Bailey said.
“It is somewhat unusual to have leagues taking legal action as a result of some of the restrictions on clubs being able to get into a European league. I think what we might be seeing is a reinforcement of the principles of the European sporting model, potentially come through complaints that are already in train through the European Commission. One of the key principles is promotion and relegation. This may impact on any closed-league structure being permitted in football.
“The EuroLeague granted long-term licences to each of the 11 shareholder clubs and so limited access to the league. I think you could start to see the potential resonance of the case.”
In 2018, Uefa and the EU signed a new Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement stated that the Council of Europe and Uefa recognise that the European sports model “is based on sporting and financial solidarity mechanisms” citing “open competitions with a balance between clubs and national teams” and explicitly mentioning “the principle of promotion and relegation”.