The powerful European Club Association hailed the latest setback to the European Super League as "a clear rejection" of the plans of a "self-interested few".
UEFA and FIFA would be acting lawfully by freezing out the proposed competition and its teams, the European Union Court of Justice advocate general Athanasios Rantos said on Thursday.
Formally announcing his non-binding opinion in Luxembourg, ahead of a judgement expected in the new year, Rantos was responding to a request by a Madrid court for a ruling on whether FIFA and UEFA would have the right to take action in accordance with competition law and fundamental freedoms.
European Super League (ESLC) officials have argued such actions should be regarded as anti-competitive and incompatible with EU competition law.
Responding to the opinion from Rantos, the European Club Association (ECA) said the message proposed "a clear rejection of the efforts of a few to undermine the foundations and historical heritage of European football for the many".
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are no longer members of the ECA, having quit when the breakaway was announced in April 2021 and retained an interest in the breakaway getting off the ground even after its dramatic near-immediate collapse.
The nine clubs that fled the Super League project have returned to the ECA fold after withdrawing their resignations from the group. Those clubs are Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham, Atletico Madrid, Inter and Milan.
The ECA, which represents nearly 250 clubs, said it remained "explicit in its strong opposition towards those self-interested few seeking to disrupt European club football and undermine the values that underpin it".
In a statement, it added: "ECA stands for the responsible, progressive evolution of football and remains steadfast in its belief that in Europe this should be achieved alongside and in partnership with UEFA as the legitimate governing body, together with other fellow professional football stakeholders and European and governmental institutions.
"A great amount of positive reform and progress has been achieved by ECA working in collaborative partnership with UEFA in recent years for the benefit of the entire European football ecosystem."
FIFA also said it welcomed the news from Luxembourg. It backed the opinion that any new competition would need approval from the world and European governing bodies, and that sanctions could be imposed if that was not forthcoming.
FIFA praised the noting by Rantos "of the special nature of sport, including the pyramid structure, which preserves the nature of sporting merit and open competitions accessible to all, as well as the principles of promotion and relegation, competitive balance, and financial solidarity".
Bernd Reichart, CEO of A22 Sports Management, the company formed to deliver the Super League project, believes it can still be realised.
Clubs from across Europe's top leagues would be targeted to be involved, with the concern of those in opposition being that it would weaken existing competitions.
Reichart said: "The opinion of the advocate general is one step in an ongoing case, and we are pleased with the recognition of the right of third parties to organise pan-European club competitions.
"The advocate general made clear that UEFA has a monopolistic position which comes with important responsibilities for enabling third parties to act freely in the market.
"However, we believe the 15 judges of the Grand Chamber who are entrusted with the responsibility to examine this case, will go substantially further and provide the opportunity for clubs to manage their own destiny in Europe."
Jonathan David names Barcelona as dream club amid Lille uncertainty
Jonathan David admits it is his dream to play for Barcelona as he prepares to enter the final six months of his Lille contract.
The Canada international is into his fifth season with the Ligue 1 side but is due to become a free agent at the end of the current campaign.
Lille have attempted to persuade David with a new deal, though he looks set to depart Stade Pierre-Mauroy in 2025 – potentially as early as January if a club is prepared to pay a transfer fee.
However, while the 24-year-old is seemingly open to a move to Barcelona, he suggested he would prefer to wait until the end of the campaign before taking the next step in his career.
"Going to a club midseason is never easy," he told The Athletic. "It's not like the beginning of a season where you have a pre-season, you get to know your team-mates, you have time to gel.
"In January, things are very hectic. It's about right now. It's tougher."
"[Barcelona] was always the team I grew up supporting. When you grow up supporting a team, it's your dream to play for them.
"Some people might say, 'Oh, he's staying at Lille, this is a downgrade, he's not getting better'. But for me, there's always opportunities to get better."
David has scored 13 goals in 19 games for Lille in all competitions this season, including goals against heavyweight sides Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus in the Champions League.
Including penalties, eight of those goals have been scored via his stronger right boot, four with his left and one with his head – an area the forward accepts he can still improve.
"Aerially, I can get better," he said. "Getting that header on target and scoring.
"I can get in good positions and win headers but the finishing touch, I'm still missing. With my back to goal, I can also get better."
David is averaging a goal every 112 minutes across all competitions this season, which compares to one every 139 minutes last season and 131 in 2022-23.
However, he still has some way to go to match the 18 goals scored in 27 league games for former club Gent in 2019-20.
"Things are good right now because I'm scoring goals," David said.
"But is this the best I've played in my life? Probably not. For me, it was my second year in Belgium. That was the season of my life."
Spain 3-2 Switzerland: Zaragoza penalty snatches dramatic late win
Bryan Zaragoza snatched a late win for Spain, who had twice been pegged back, as they beat Switzerland 3-2 in the Nations League on Monday.
Spain started the game strongly, with Alex Grimaldo forcing a good save from Yvon Mvogo before Alvaro Morata wasted a golden chance after racing in behind the Swiss defence.
They got their reward just after the half-hour mark – Morata was bundled over in the box, and though Pedri saw the resulting spot-kick saved, Yeremy Pino fired in the rebound of Nico Williams' blocked follow-up shot.
Joel Monteiro's half-time introduction changed the game, and after fizzing an early chance wide, he scored a stunning solo goal, weaving inside from the right before finishing from a tight angle in the 63rd minute.
Bryan Gil restored Spain's lead five minutes later, jinking away from two defenders with some clever footwork and beating Mvogo with a pacy shot, before Zeqiri levelled the scoreline for a second time with a sweeping penalty.
However, Zaragoza would have the final say in the 93rd minute after Vincent Sierro, who had won Switzerland's penalty at the other end, brought him down, and the substitute emphatically fired in the winner.
Spain finish top of Group A4, going unbeaten across their six games, while Switzerland are relegated to League B after failing to win any of their matches.
Data Debrief: Spain extend unbeaten run
The result on Monday would not have affected Spain's hold on top spot in the group, but Luis de la Fuente's side showed their mettle as they kept fighting to the end.
Excluding friendlies, La Roja have played 13 matches in 2024 in all competitions and have not lost a single one (W12 D1), setting the record for their most competitive matches without defeat in a single year, as well as their most wins.
In fact, Spain are currently on a run of 21 competitive games without defeat in all competitions (W19 D2), their best run since June 2010-13 (29).
Croatia 1-1 Portugal: Gvardiol earns draw as hosts advance in Nations League
Croatia joined Portugal in the quarter-finals of the Nations League after the sides played out a 1-1 draw in Split on Monday.
Josko Gvardiol equalised in the 65th minute after Joao Felix had put Portugal – already assured of top spot – ahead in the first half at Stadion Poljud.
That goal ensured Croatia finished a point better off than Scotland in Group A1 after they earned a late 2-1 victory over Poland in Warsaw.
In the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, Joao Felix stepped up by taking Vitinha's pass in his stride and calmly firing past Dominik Livakovic in the 33rd minute – the goal allowed to stand after a VAR check for offside.
Andrej Kramaric blasted an effort back off the crossbar and Gvardiol had a goal disallowed for offside either side of the interval as Croatia pressed for a leveller.
Gvardiol found the net again soon after, though, and this time it was allowed to stand as he got on the end of Kristijan Jakic's delivery at the back post.
Livakovic and Jose Sa produced fine saves to deny Nuno Mendes and Ante Budimir, who also hit the outside of the post, but neither side could find a winning goal.
Data Debrief: Gvardiol scores again against blunt visitors
Roberto Martinez opted to release Ronaldo, Silva, Pedro Neto and the suspended Fernandes back to their clubs before this game and Portugal lacked a cutting edge in front of goal.
Joao Felix took his chance very well, scoring his one goal from an expected goals (xG) value of 0.58 across the 90 minutes, but the visitors were unable to find the net from any of their other 11 attempts.
Croatia's attackers were also frustrated by a mixture of the frame of the goal and Sa, but in-form defender Gvardiol was the hero as he netted for the fourth time this season already for club and country.
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