In a landmark moment for European club football, the European Club Association has reached 500 members. Aris Limassol FC of Cyprus ensured this milestone by becoming the 500th club to join the ever-growing ranks of the ECA Family.
As of today, ECA Membership has achieved a remarkable 88% growth since the start of the 2023/24 season. This now includes 100% membership in twelve countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia, France, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Scotland, Slovenia, and Türkiye.
Commenting on reaching this milestone, ECA Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaïfi said:
“Welcoming our 500th member club at ECA is a fantastic milestone, and only the beginning of our incredible recent growth and evolution as an institution. Today, ECA is a dynamic, democratic, representative, and inclusive organisation – giving a voice to the many not the few. We look forward to continuing our rapid expansion to include all top-tier division clubs across Europe within the ECA Family, and helping shape the future of European club football hand-in-hand, and positively, with all recognised stakeholders.”
Reaching 500 members demonstrates the strength of the bond between clubs across the continent, underlining the shared vision and core mission of ECA – placing clubs at the Heart of Football. Through meaningful collaboration and development, ECA strives to foster unity between clubs and all football stakeholders across the continent.
Aris Limassol FC, who ensured the historic 500-mark, are a club with ambitious goals. A founder member of the Cyprus FA, Aris last season won the Cypriot First Division title for the first time in their history, earning a place in the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds.
Aris Limassol FC CEO Pavel Gognidze said:
"Embarking on this exciting journey with ECA is a strategic step that takes Aris Limassol FC towards its goals of regularly competing for titles and actively participating in European club competitions. For us, ECA is more than just an advocate of the club's interests; it is a dynamic platform for networking and continuous learning, integral to the ongoing growth and development of our club. There is no other platform like this one and we commit our sole representation at European level to ECA.”
Reflecting further on Aris Limassol FC's impressive journey, Gognidze added:
“Becoming the 500th member is not just a fortuitous milestone, but also a well-deserved spotlight on our club. In just three years, we have risen from the second division, secured a European place, won a league title, qualified for the group stages of the UEFA Europa League and made history by selling a player directly to a top-five club in the league. As we join ECA, we look forward to forging new friendships across Europe and achieving even greater milestones together."