ECA Media Release
The Executive Board of the European Club Association (ECA) held its first meeting of 2022 today in London at the home of Tottenham Hotspur FC.
With respect to regular ECA matters, the Executive Board continued to focus its attention on keynote topics relating to the future of the club game, including endorsing the direction of travel around the latest iteration of proposed reforms to financial sustainability rules. The Executive Board also discussed matters related to the Recovery Fund that is soon to launch and assist clubs facing financial difficulties due to liquidity shortages across the game.
In addition, discussions centred on the recent successful completion of the joint tender administered with UEFA for the management of the commercial rights for European club competitions; and other topics related to the future of the International Match Calendar together with a number of internal ECA matters linked to the expansion and deepening of member services.
Exceptionally, the Executive Board also addressed additional matters. Over the past week, ECA has acted swiftly and firmly in both endorsing and participating in the decisions of UEFA to suspend all Russian clubs from participating in UEFA competitions, together with UEFA’s decision to end its commercial partnership with Gazprom.
ECA also strongly endorsed the decision of UEFA’s Executive Committee to move the Champions League final. In addition, today, the Executive Board specifically resolved that all Russian members will cease to be involved in ECA activities with immediate effect until further notice.
In parallel, over recent days, ECA has been in constant contact with Ukrainian member clubs across all levels of ECA. In this respect, the Executive Board today committed to pursue all efforts to provide whatever support needed to help Ukrainian clubs and their players at this time.
All of these matters will be addressed further at ECA’s 27th General Assembly to be held in Vienna, Austria on 28th and 29th March.