Lazio president says UEFA can't be 'regulator and seller'

Lazio president Claudio Lotito has applauded the recent court ruling on the European Super League (ESL).

It was revealed on Thursday that the European Court of Justice essentially sides with ESL organizers in a case against FIFA and UEFA.

The court officially declared that the two governing bodies abused their position in attempting to block the ESL from forming. FIFA and UEFA also acted unlawfully when they threatened European teams for attempting to join the league.

The decision ultimately blocks the governing bodies from fining clubs trying to create a new breakaway league. However, the court made sure to not fully endorse the ESL from forming.

Lotito asks for patience regarding possible ESL reformation

During an interview with Il Foglio, Lotito was asked a plethora of questions regarding the ruling. The club president specifically addressed the court declaring that UEFA “abused a dominant position” in the continent.

“Are you surprised? Have you ever seen an energy regulation authority that also buys or sells gas? No, you cannot be both a regulator and a seller. You have to be one or the other,” stated Lotito.

Although the exec appreciated the court’s verdict on the matter, he also stressed patience when it comes to the ESL. Lotito admitted that he personally does not support a fully closed league, particularly one that only includes the biggest clubs.

“First we need to all calm down, read the ruling and understand precisely what it means in legal terms, then we’ll see what to do,” continued Lotito. “We must also keep in mind that we are protecting the importance of the Italian League, because we can’t just throw that out the window, can we?”

“The real issue now is the money. So far, the money has flowed uphill towards the authorities. In theory, this could free up a lot of resources for the clubs. As things stand today, UEFA keep part of the money, spend part, and distribute part to the clubs.”

The Lazio president also hit out at ESL organizers for not having a real qualification process. Instead, Lotito would essentially prefer the breakaway league to somewhat replicate UEFA’s Champions League.

“If it is not called the Champions League, but the Super League, the fact remains we must always qualify via domestic leagues,” stated the Lazio exec. “The only thing that changes is where the money ends up.”

Klopp also happy that UEFA gets ‘a bit of a shake’

Lotito is not the only one from a top-five European league to issue some support for the court’s ruling. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was asked about the news on Friday and pointed towards UEFA constantly wanting to add more fixtures to the schedule.

“I agree 100% with that statement [from Liverpool]. But I am delighted that we finally get a bit of an understanding that FIFA and UEFA and other bodies cannot just do what they want,” Klopp proclaimed.

“In the future we have to talk about a lot of stuff and if we just do the things [UEFA] do – like putting in more competitions and playing more games – and we don’t have a real say in what is going on. I like that they get a bit of a shake.”

Because of the ruling, there have been rumblings that UEFA may abandon plans to expand the Champions League. The governing body previously announced that they will scrap the group stage of the competition. Instead, 36 total teams would be compiled in one division.

It remains to be seen if UEFA will officially alter the tournament ahead of the 2024/25 season.

Photo credit: IMAGO / Sven Simon IMAGO / PA Images.