UEFA decided to take legal action against a judge involved in a Spanish court case concerning the thwarted attempt by several top European clubs to form a breakaway Super League competition. The judge, Manuel Ruiz de Lara, is attempting to halt the attempt to punish FC Barcelona, Juventus, and Real Madrid for their involvement in the Super League scandal.
“UEFA has filed a motion for the recusal of the judge presiding over the current proceedings as it believes there are significant irregularities in these proceedings,” UEFA confirmed in a public statement.
While the move to take disciplinary action against the rebel clubs was abandoned on Monday, UEFA is looking to keep the case alive in the hope that the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg would back its attempts to ban Barca, Juventus, and Real Madrid from the Champions League.
The case was launched soon after 12 European football clubs decided to launch the breakaway Super League competition in April. Following widespread backlash from fans and their own government, the six English clubs involved in the plan promptly backed out, with fellow clubs AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Atletico Madrid soon following suit. The plan to break away from the Champions League only lasted 48 hours before its ultimate collapse.
