The European Club Association (ECA) had a strong presence at the FT Business of Football Summit 2025, with several ECA Board Members, committee representatives and senior leadership actively participating in the event in London.
Giorgio Chiellini, Head of Football Instutional Relationships at Juventus and ECA’s representative at the UEFA Club Competitions Committee offered his perspective on the on the calendar of European competitions, praising the new formats for the UEFA Champions League and other UEFA club competitions.
“The direction of the UEFA Champions League, I like it, and all the clubs like it. We talked within the club competitions committee with the clubs involved, the competition was exciting, and the fans were happy because in the end, fans want to watch much more top games. The last round of games was something that we never had before, but I like the new journey of the Champions League with many more international games.”
ECA Board Members Dennis te Kloese and Pablo Longoria joined fellow European football CEOs to discuss their strategic priorities in an increasingly complex market. Longoria also spoke positively about the new UEFA club competitions format, while te Kloese spoke on Feyenoord’s journey to the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 (where they will face Inter Milan). He emphasised the need for excellence in every aspect of his club’s operations.
“For us to compete in the Champions League, there are very little room for mistakes. From the development of young players and the assignment of coaches in our scouting. What we do is ensure that everything around football is top class from your training facility to your succession planning for coaches. That all has to be so good so we can compete.”
Fernando Carro, ECA Board Member and CEO of Bayer Leverkusen, joined DFL CEO Marc Lenz to discuss the growth and success of German club football. Carro also shared insights into Bayer Leverkusen’s transformation into 2023/24 Bundesliga champions, highlighting the importance of a long-term strategic approach at the club.
"When I started at Leverkusen in 2018, we defined a clear long-term plan. Our goal was to consistently finish in the Bundesliga top four and reach the last sixteen in Europe. We made strategic changes with the team that ultimately increased the probability of sporting success."
ECA CEO Charlie Marshall contributed to the conversation on financial regulation in European football, stressing the importance of rules which encourage sustainable investment in clubs. He pointed to ECA member clubs Feyenoord, PSV, Club Brugge and Celtic as examples of teams successfully leveraging their financial resources to compete at the highest level in UEFA club competitions.
"These clubs demonstrate how, despite operating with smaller budgets compared to some of their peers, they are still able to achieve strong performances this season in the UEFA Champions League. This bodes well for competitive balance across European football."
ECA’s involvement in the FT Business of Football Summit reinforced its role as the leading voice for European club football, representing over 700 European clubs and ensuring that their interests shape the future of the game. With strong long-term partnerships with UEFA and FIFA, both of which recognise ECA as the sole representative body for European clubs, ECA continues to play a crucial role in the global game across the sport.