Regarding the recent announcement by twelve European elite football clubs of their intention to launch a European Super League, Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge has written a letter to the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) Governing Board Chairperson.

Bjørn Berge highlights how “the principles of solidarity, sporting merit, openness in competitions, sport integrity and inclusion, could help governments and sports organisations to protect sports from initiatives that completely deprive sport governing bodies of their fundamental regulatory role”.

In his reply, Mr Husting underlined that Council of Europe member states are attached to the principle of autonomy of the sport movement in Europe, and that a number of them show full commitment towards the freedom of association and economic freedoms. However, he recognised that in the light of the current draft of the revised European Sports Charter, the prospect of a European Super League of Football would, among others, undermine the financial solidarity from top sport to grassroots sports, threaten the consistent implementation of sport integrity regulations, and show disregard for social dialogue (with players, unions and with key stakeholders such as fans).

Mr Husting confirmed that this issue will indeed be discussed at the next joint meeting of the EPAS Governing Board and Consultative Committee, due to take place online on 15-16 June 2021.