Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus react to UEFA's disciplinary sanctions

Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona and Juventus FC are not backing down from the European Super League project despite threats from UEFA amid an investigation into their involvement in the breakaway tournament.

UEFA has threatened expulsion from the Champions League for the three aforementioned teams, while at the same time completely absolving the nine other founding members of the Super League. Despite this, the three clubs have stood by their decision to remain committed to the project, and have insisted that their goal remains to be the modernisation of football for the good of the game.

The clubs released a joint statement on Wednesday which read: "FC Barcelona, Juventus FC and Real Madrid CF wish to express their absolute rejection of the insistent coercion that UEFA has been maintaining towards three of the most relevant institutions in the history of football."

The statement further hit back against the European football governing body by saying, "This alarming attitude constitutes a flagrant breach of the decision of the courts of justice, which have already made a clear statement warning UEFA to refrain from taking any action that could penalise the founding clubs of the Super League while the legal proceedings are ongoing."

The clubs then criticised UEFA's decision to open disciplinary proceedings against them. "The opening of disciplinary proceedings by UEFA is incomprehensible and is a direct attack against the rule of law that we, the citizens of the European Union, have democratically built up, while constituting a lack of respect toward the authority of the courts of justice themselves."

The clubs maintained that their goal is to improve "the situation of European football, through permanent dialogue with UEFA and with the objective to increase the interest in the sport and to offer fans the best possible show."

However, they have accused UEFA of refusing to explore ways to reach said goal. "UEFA expects us to withdraw the ongoing court proceedings that question their monopoly over European football. Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid, all of them more than a century old, will not accept any form of coercion or intolerable pressure, while they remain strong in their willingness to debate, respectfully and through dialogue, the urgent solutions that football currently needs."

It remains to be seen how UEFA will respond and if the three clubs will be expelled from the Champions League in the coming season.