ECA Media Release
New 2018-21 UEFA Club Competition concept further improves club position both from a finance and governance perspective.
Representatives from 153 member clubs attended the European Club Association's (ECA) 17th General Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.
New club competition concept 2018-21
Following the official UEFA announcement in Monaco on 26 August, ECA Member Clubs were provided with details of UEFA's Executive Committee decision to amend the UEFA Club Competition concept for the 2018-21 cycle and the process which has led thereto. The new concept, which, according to initial projections, is expected to raise more than €3 billion in gross revenues per season (both competitions combined) was unanimously endorsed by the ECA Executive Board at its latest meeting in Monaco on 25 August. In addition to the amendments affecting the access list, the club coefficient method and the revenue distribution system, ECA Members were also provided with details of the new governance model, which will see ECA representatives participate directly in the future decision-making process relating to UEFA's club competitions. A new UEFA subsidiary, which will deal exclusively with European club competitions and be equally managed and controlled by ECA and UEFA representatives, will be created by the end of 2016. Following the inclusion of two club officials as members of UEFA's Executive Committee in 2015, this development is another major break-through for clubs in their relationship with the European football governing body.
Commenting on the new concept and governance model, ECA Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said:
"The new concept that has been adopted by the UEFA Executive Committee is not a revolution; it is an evolution. An evolution that was long overdue and which we all welcome. We are extremely pleased with the way our relationship with UEFA has developed since ECA's creation in 2008. The creation of the new club competition entity is proof that the voice of the clubs in European football continues to be heard and respected."
A working group will shortly be established under the umbrella of the UEFA Club Competitions Committee and will be tasked with finalising all details relating to the new club competition concept for 2018-21 in the coming months.
UEFA EURO 2016 club share benefits 659 European clubs
As agreed in the 2012 ECA-UEFA Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), an increased amount of €150m from the UEFA EURO 2016 revenues is available for distribution to clubs which contributed to the success of UEFA EURO 2016 tournament. The total amount is split between the qualification phase (€50m) and the final tournament (€100m) and will benefit a record 659 clubs from across Europe. The distribution mechanism is identical to the one applied for the UEFA EURO 2012 in Poland/Ukraine, which saw 575 clubs benefit from the total amount of €100m. The final amounts per club will be communicated once the calculations are finalised.
Launch of Domestic Governance Campaign
In line with ECA's mission to promote good governance, the ECA Executive Board decided to launch a campaign to enhance domestic governance at national level and, more specifically, strengthen the influence of clubs in the decision-making processes of national associations. The campaign, which centres on four key pillars - democracy/inclusiveness, transparency/accountability, legal stability and club revenue distribution - will see ECA officials visit key stakeholders in countries where club involvement/influence in the national governance system remains limited. The visits will be used to benchmark the existing governance models with the ultimate aim to make recommendations to the national associations.
