Real Madrid News
The Super League files billion dollar lawsuit against UEFA, Real Madrid to follow
Florentino Perez’s comments at Real Madrid’s recent Extraordinary General Assembly signalled that a storm is coming as the club look to adopt a more indepdendent and aggressive strategy.
This included the club’s gameplan with regard to the Super League project, now that Barcelona are no longer an ally. As such, the club plan to take on UEFA almost on its own, with the Super League already making the first big move.
The Super League sures UEFA
According to Mundo Deportivo, A22 Sports Management, the company promoting the Super League, has initiated legal proceedings against UEFA, demanding billions in compensation for alleged anti-competitive conduct.
Real Madrid President Florentino Perez confirmed the club will file its own separate lawsuit, bringing the combined total claim to more than €4.5 billion.
The action follows the ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and targets UEFA’s “abuse of its dominant position as a monopolistic operator in the market for European club football competitions,” A22 stated.
The lawsuit comes after months of failed discussions between the two parties. A22 formally requested recognition for its “Unify League” proposal in December 2024 and subsequently entered into seven months of negotiations with UEFA.
“During these negotiations, A22 made significant concessions to bridge the gap between its Unify League proposal and UEFA’s existing club competitions,” the company noted, citing proposals that included an improved format and the “Unify” streaming platform.
The company concluded that with no comprehensive agreement reached, the only course of action is to demand compensation for damages suffered as a result of UEFA’s “continued unlawful conduct.”
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
