The 2023/24 campaign has proved a landmark season for many European clubs and for ECA – and the last month has merely served to underline that.
There were some remarkable performances in club football across Europe, while the ECA Family grew from 266 clubs since the start of the season to more than 650 at present.
On the pitch, our congratulations go out to all those clubs who have made their mark in one fashion or another this season, with some notable successes.
Top of the club season highlights reel are Bayer 04 Leverkusen, who went unbeaten through the whole domestic campaign in Germany to win the Bundesliga title and the DFB Cup. Also worth noting are the achievements of Manchester City, who became the first English side to win the league four times in succession, while winning their title for the first time were Poland’s Jagiellonia Bialystok.
Paris Saint-Germain won their 12th league title, and with the Coupe de France surpassed 50 trophies just 53 years on from their founding. Meanwhile, Internazionale Milano earned a second star for their 20th Serie A crown.
Other notable highlights included a first Eredivisie title since 2018 for PSV Eindhoven and a first in 13 years for Austria’s SK Sturm Graz.
We also saw notable successes in UEFA Club Competitions – Atalanta lifting the UEFA Europa League for their first trophy in 61 years, Olympiakos claiming the UEFA Conference League and of course Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid CF go head-to-head tomorrow for the UEFA Champions League
The end of the European season in most countries completed the line-up of European clubs qualified for next year’s FIFA Club World Cup. Chelsea FC, Real Madrid CF, Manchester City, FC Bayern München, Paris Saint-Germain, Internazionale Milano, FC Porto, SL Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Club Atlético de Madrid and FC Salzburg will all be competing in the inaugural expanded tournament in the USA.
In women’s football, Barcelona did the quadruple after winning the Champions League in front a record 50,827 crowd in Bilbao, while Chelsea bade farewell to their coach Emma Hayes with a fifth title in-a-row. North of the border, Celtic were crowned Scottish Women's Premier League champions for the first time.
ECA success off the pitch
For ECA, a busier than ever season serving our clubs has been illustrated in the last few weeks.
The biggest milestone saw ECA membership pass 600 clubs, capping an incredible season of growth. As of today, 20 countries’ top divisions in Europe have 100% membership - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovenia, Türkiye - and across UEFA’s 55 nations ECA Membership is above 80% overall.
The growth in the women’s game has been a recurring theme for ECA during the 2023/24 season, something that was celebrated at the recent ‘Business Case for Women’s Football’ event in Bilbao, prior to the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final.
ECA CEO Charlie Marshall joined a panel with Michele Kang, owner of Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, Washington Spirit and London City Lionesses, former Norway international and SK Brann board member Siv Skard, and Vinai Venkatesham, Arsenal CEO, to discuss the commercial boom in women’s football.
The summit heard that revenues are rising and clubs are becoming more sustainable. The number of clubs making a profit or breaking even has risen from 13% in 2020 to 38% in 2023, driven by huge average increases in ticketing (567%), broadcasting (150%), national association grants (110%) and sponsorship (82%).
Charlie Marshall said: "Some of the statistics are astonishing, like the growth in ticket revenue, and it's happening very quickly. We're at a zeitgeist moment for women's football and it's a time for learning and deep reflection on how we should progress things."
This season has also seen ECA executives doing more outreach than ever through a range of initiatives, including Club Meet-Ups, Club Connect and other Working Group specific forums.
Around the UEFA Europa League final in Dublin, an ECA delegation including ECA Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, Board Member Peter Lawwell and CEO Charlie Marshall met Irish clubs Shamrock Rovers FC, Saint Patrick's Athletic FC and Sligo Rovers FC.
ECA’s Club Meet-Up in Belgium, combined with a Finance Working Group led by ECA Independent Board Member Michael Verschueren, saw ECA gather with several Belgian clubs including: Club Brugge, RSC Anderlecht, KRC Genk, R. Standard Liège, KAA Gent, SV Zulte Waregem, Royal Antwerp FC, Royal Charleroi SC, KV Kortrijk, KV Oostende, KSC. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and Sint-Truiden VV.
ECA Club Meet-Ups have proved very successful this season with a rolling programme of outreach and knowledge.
The ECA Club Meet-Up initiative, led by ECA’s Membership Department, aims to be a catalyst for positive change, bringing clubs together, regardless of their size or background. Marshall added: “The Club Meet-Ups are a fundamental part of our mission to be at the Heart of Football. They showcase our unity and inclusivity. We want to reach all clubs across Europe, empower them and foster connections to help ensure a brighter future for club football in Europe and worldwide.”
ECA Chairman will meet with the ECA Executive Committee Members tomorrow on the occasion of the UEFA Champions League Final for the last meeting of the season reflecting on a successful 2023/24 season for European club football.