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Jeff Carlisle, U.S. soccer correspondent
Relevent Sports settled their antitrust case with FIFA in relation to league matches held outside a league’s homeland. FIFA and Relevent can now work together to bring league matches to the United States from Europe.
In the settlement filed with the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York it states: “Relevent, FIFA and the parties stipulate that all claims brought by Relevent in this action against FIFA will be dismissed without prejudice, and each party is responsible for its own attorney’s fees and costs.”
This document states: “The Stipulation is not applicable to Relevent’s claims against United States Soccer Federation, Inc. (“USSF”).”
USSF did not immediately reply to an inquiry for comment.
Danny Sillman (CEO of Relevent Sports) said that FIFA and Relevent Sports had agreed to solve this specific FIFA issue while FIFA considered changes to existing FIFA rules on whether games could be played outside a league’s homeland. “Relevent looks forward in supporting FIFA, as both sides strive to grow the game.”
The soccer government said, “FIFA has agreed with Relevent to settle this issue”.
In the case of FIFA, FIFA is currently considering changes to its existing policies in relation to official league games played outside a league’s home territory. FIFA continues to deny any legal claims alleged by Relevent.
This lawsuit was first filed in 2019. It began after Relevent (controlled by Miami Dolphins’ owner Stephen M. Ross) signed a deal for commercial rights with Spain’s La Liga and attempted to host a match between Barcelona and Girona, at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. These matches need to be approved both by the national federations and by the federation in which the match is being played.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation denied Relevent’s request. Relevent tried again to hold a match in the Ecuadoran League between Barcelona and Guayaquil, but USSF denied the sanction.
USSF said that it denied Relevent permission to play the match due to FIFA’s policy adopted in 2018 by the ruling council. This FIFA policy “emphasized that official league games must be played on the territory of each member association.”
In July 2021, the lawsuit was dismissed.. Relevent stated that this agreement intended to adhere to FIFA Policy as well as to boycott any leagues, players, or clubs that participated in un-sanctioned US games. Judge Valerie Caproni determined that the USSF abided by FIFA policies, but that this was insufficient to establish that they entered into a lawful agreement with FIFA for “restricting output.”
A court of appeals overturned this ruling in May 2023Relevant stated that it “plausibly claims that the 2018 Policy represents a contract commitment by head-to-head rivals to restrict competition.”
Elizabeth B. Prelogar, the Solicitor-General of the United States in the Supreme Court case that was headed their way, filed a 23 page brief saying the ruling from the appeals court should be upheld. USSF did not “act independently”. In fact, USSF was part of an association whose members adopted policy, which it used as a basis for refusing to approve the matches.
According to the government, the USSF is not “a FIFA member selected at random nor a bystander or passive in the enforcement and adoption of the 2018 FIFA policy.”
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