They sign a “historic agreement to strengthen the future of European football”
Its new distribution system seeks “an unprecedented increase in solidarity”
MADRID, 6 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA) have signed this Wednesday a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that extends their cooperation until the year 2030, with the purpose of “reinforcing the long-term stability and sustainable growth” of the ‘Old Continente’, counteracting the plans still in force to create the Super League.
“Building on a relationship of more than 15 years, the new MoU will elevate their association to reinforce long-term stability and sustainable growth in European club football,” UEFA said in its press release, although without explicit mention of the Super League instigated in its day by Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
“At the heart of this agreement is a total commitment to strengthen the fundamental principles of the European football pyramid upheld by fans across Europe. This includes UEFA’s central role as European governing body and the open system of promotion and descent that, ultimately, culminates in the classification for an open model of European competitions”, has added the note.
The MoU “aligns the cooperative efforts” of UEFA and ECA “with the evolving landscape of the men’s and women’s international match calendar and the upcoming structural changes in UEFA’s men’s club competitions, effective from the 2024 season/ 25 and that will bring more opportunities for more clubs, but also for players and fans alike, keeping the pyramid open and democratic,” according to the text.
“The part reserved in the new cycle for clubs that do not participate in the group stage of UEFA competitions will increase to a total of 10%: in addition to the 3% reserved for clubs eliminated in the qualifying rounds, the part for clubs that have not participated at all will grow to 7% (from the current 4%), ensuring 440 million euros per season (which means 1,320 million euros throughout the cycle)”, explained the note on the redeployment scheme for clubs at pan-European level.
“The distribution system will focus more on participation (25% to 27.5% will be shared equally) and performance (30% to 37.5%), while the two existing pillars of ‘ The market pool and coefficient will be merged and reduced (from 45% to 35%). All the details of the new system will be announced as soon as the technical work is completed,” the note continued.
Meanwhile, the MoU also “captures the evolution” of UEFA Club Competitions SA, a joint venture between UEFA and ECA, in order to “advance further the commercial development of UEFA club competitions”.
“REMARKABLE PROGRESS MADE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN’S FOOTBALL”
“The new agreement also reflects the remarkable strides made in the development of women’s football. UEFA and ECA are united in their quest to improve competitions, nurture the next generation of talented players and lay the foundations for an ecosystem and a resilient and sustainable women’s football business model”, highlighted the press release.
“Lastly, the renewed MoU continues to give priority to critical issues such as environmental, social and corporate governance, as well as financial sustainability to guarantee the general well-being of European football,” said the entity chaired by Aleksander Ceferin.
Aleksander Ceferin himself has said that this new MoU “builds on the solid foundations of the cooperation between UEFA and the ECA to enhance the open and values-based pyramid of European football that is celebrated by fans around the world.”
“It will bring continuity, stability and healthy growth that will benefit all corners of Europe. I would like to thank the ECA Executive Board and Nasser Al-Khelaïfi for their efforts to make this renewed agreement a reality. Our cooperation will strengthen European football and we hope that it will result in further development and success of the game,” said Ceferin.
The same president of the ECA, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, has opined that the renewal of the MoU until 2030 “is fantastic news for all European clubs and for all those who care about the stability and prosperity of European club football”. .
“The MoU formalizes the agreements between UEFA and the ECA on a wide range of governance, representation, regulatory, financial and sporting matters, and lays solid foundations for the continued development of European club football,” added Al-Khelaïfi.
“As the ECA family continues to rapidly multiply in size, representing clubs of all statuses in all corners of Europe, we look forward to our continued constructive, collaborative and trusting relationship with UEFA, the most important part of the ACE”, has concluded Al-Khelaïfi.
“This latest MoU reaffirms UEFA’s strong commitment to democratic governance, building on its earlier decision to incorporate player and fan perspectives alongside those of leagues and clubs in its decision-making process.” He has alluded to FIFPRO Europe and Football Supporters Europe. This approach aims to foster an even more inclusive, resilient and transparent governance framework for European football.”