Miscellaneous
The European Club Association (ECA) this week participated in a Professional Football Conference in San Jose, Costa Rica, organised by FIFA in collaboration with Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF). The event welcomed representatives of FIFA Member Associations and clubs from across North and Latin America.
The conference brought together senior figures from 35 North and Latin American member associations as part of FIFA's efforts to assist and collaborate with national associations in professionalising club football across the CONCACAF region.
ECA's Head of Administration, Diederik Dewaele, participated in a panel debate alongside Nic Coward, former General Secretary of the English Premier League, Philippe Moggio, General Secretary of CONCACAF, Enrique Bonilla, President of the Mexican Football League and James Johnson, FIFA Head of Professional Football, explaining the relevance of ECA's cooperation with FIFA and other major stakeholders to support initiatives to increase the standard of clubs and leagues worldwide.
Since the creation of the FIFA Professional Football Department, FIFA is working and consulting more regularly with a wide range of football stakeholders. This San Jose conference, which also welcomed representatives from CONCACAF, members of national leagues, professional clubs outside the region and players' associations, enabled all present to gain knowledge, share experiences and help stakeholders plan effectively for the future.
ECA will continue to engage with FIFA to share the European model of club representation with the aim to further develop professional football and support/benefit clubs around the globe.