ECA to hold Special General Assembly in June to discuss future of UEFA Club Competitions

This very early stage in the process is the right time to engage with ECA Member Clubs directly, in an open and constructive manner, to share ideas that are being discussed and the overall vision that is being considered and elaborated, and to receive feedback.  This meeting fits into the Board’s clear intent to maintain a process around UEFA Club Competitions post 2024 which is undertaken in a transparent, direct and engaged manner.

The shape of the competitions is now determined for 2021–24, including the refining of the Europa League from 48 to 32 teams and the addition of a third competition to expand the number of participating teams. The ECA meeting in June will provide the opportunity for ECA Member Clubs to debate and share views on principles which are fundamental to the future of European Football beyond 2024, and around which ECA will seek to work with UEFA to continue to evolve the Club Competitions. These are:

• More European football is good for the game (for fans, for society, for cultural, sporting and financial development)
• A pyramidal Pan European League System with continuity and opportunity for clubs to grow and develop from within this system
• Enhancement of mobility and dynamism across the system through carefully applied promotion and relegation
• European matches with higher sporting quality and a more competitive environment at all levels
• An inclusive platform for all clubs, based on sporting meritocracy, not historical privilege
• Open to all – keeping the dream alive
• Striving to maintain symbiosis with domestic leagues (retaining access and cross-competition relevance)
• Progressive and forward looking, not reactionary and preserving a sub-optimal status quo