UEFA have announced that disciplinary proceedings have been opened against Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus for a potential violation of their legal framework. The decision comes following an investigation conducted by UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors in connection with the so-called Super League project, and further information will be made available in due course, according to their statement.
The three are the last men standing in the Super League project. Initially there was 12 clubs involved; Atletico Madrid, Milan, Inter, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were part of a shoddy launch. The six English clubs left first, with Atletico, Milan and Inter following shortly after.
Madrid’s Florentino Perez and Juventus’ Andrea Agnelli appear to be the architects of the project. Joan Laporta came into it late, with previous Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu involved in the initial discussions. All three of the clubs remaining have seen a decline in their European performances of late, unable to compete with the Premier League clubs financially. The sage seems set to rumble on.
