Supreme Court Upholds Ruling Against LaLiga Over Exclusion of Barcelona and Real Madrid from Votes
Spain’s Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal filed by LaLiga against a lower court ruling that confirmed the league violated the fundamental rights of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid by excluding them from three key meetings held in 2022.
The decision, issued by the Supreme Court’s Social Chamber, upholds a prior judgment that found LaLiga’s actions during discussions surrounding the controversial European Super League project constituted a breach of labor and association rights owed to the two clubs as members of the league’s governing structure.
The original case stemmed from complaints filed by Barcelona and Real Madrid alleging they were systematically barred from participating in deliberations where critical decisions about the Super League initiative were made, despite their status as founding members and major stakeholders in Spanish professional football.
According to the verified court documentation referenced in the proceedings, the exclusion occurred during three specific meetings convened by LaLiga leadership in 2022, where topics related to the Super League — including potential sanctions, governance responses, and collective positioning — were discussed without the involvement of the two clubs’ representatives.
The lower court had previously ruled that such exclusion amounted to a violation of the clubs’ rights to be heard and to participate in associative processes, particularly given their direct interest in the outcomes under discussion. LaLiga appealed the decision, arguing its internal procedures were followed correctly and that the clubs’ absence was justified due to their conflicting interests in the Super League matter.
In rejecting LaLiga’s appeal, the Supreme Court affirmed that the league’s justification did not override the procedural guarantees owed to its members, emphasizing that even in situations of conflict of interest, formal avenues for inclusion and defense must be preserved unless explicitly suspended under regulated conditions — which, the court found, were not met in this instance.
The ruling does not impose financial penalties or direct sanctions on LaLiga but reinforces the legal precedent that sporting organizations must adhere to associative democratic principles, even amid high-stakes disputes involving breakaway competitions.
Barcelona and Real Madrid have not issued public statements regarding the latest ruling as of the time of this report. LaLiga also declined to comment when contacted for this article.
The decision adds another layer to the ongoing legal and governance fallout from the 2021 European Super League proposal, which saw several top European clubs attempt to break away from existing continental structures before facing widespread backlash from fans, governing bodies, and civil institutions.
While the Super League project in its original form has since been abandoned, related legal cases continue to unfold across European jurisdictions concerning accountability, governance transparency, and the rights of member clubs within league associations.
For now, the Supreme Court’s ruling stands as a definitive interpretation of procedural fairness within Spain’s top-flight football governance, affirming that no member — regardless of their stance on contentious issues — may be excluded from deliberative processes without due cause and proper procedural safeguards.
What Which means for LaLiga moving forward remains to be seen, but the ruling sets a clear benchmark: associative rights must be upheld, even when consensus is difficult to achieve.
Stay updated with Archysport for the latest developments in Spanish football governance and legal affairs.
Next checkpoint: No further judicial dates have been publicly scheduled in this matter as of the current reporting period.
