Focus is now on the revenue distribution model for the upcoming 2021/2024 UCC cycle
The European Leagues gathered today in London for the first General Assembly of 2019/2020 football season. On the occasion the General Assembly endorsed the Association’s principles to contribute reforming and improving European Club Competitions from 2024 onwards.
The leagues have endorsed the 3 key starting points for the future of European Club Competitions:
1) Protect domestic leagues
2) Increase participation
3) Fairer Financial distribution
These starting points are key to start a new era of cooperation with UEFA to find an agreement with the football stakeholders on Format and Access, Financial Distribution and Solidarity, Calendar and Club Coefficient System which are the main interlinked factors that define the European club competitions. For specific details regarding the principles identified by the European Leagues for the key factors mentioned above, please visit www.SupportYourLeague.com , a new platform giving a voice to all stakeholders seeking to help the game thrive in Europe at all levels.
Revenue Distribution for UEFA Club Competitions Cycle 2021/24
During the Assembly the members call the European Leagues to focus on the most important issue of professional football’s agenda which is the current work performed by the stakeholders for the revenue distribution model of UEFA Club Competition for the 2021/2024 cycle. The leagues reiterated the need to implement a fairer revenue distribution model and the substantial increase of solidarity within UCC. It is imperative to increase solidarity payments so to protect and enhance competitive balance in the domestic league competitions and to guarantee the long-term sporting and financial sustainability of all our clubs and not solely those who participate regularly to the European club competitions.
Concussion Management cooperation with FIFPro
Following the end of the 2018/2019 season, FIFPRO and European Leagues have critically reviewed match incidents with serious impact on player health, performance and long-term quality of life. Consequently, FIFPRO and European Leagues have developed a cooperation agreement on the framework to elevate standards of concussion management across European football leagues. The cooperation agreement on concussion management was unanimously endorsed today by the European Leagues General Assembly.
Statement on women attending football matches within stadiums
The European Leagues welcome and support UEFA President’s statement on the issue related to women attending football matches in Iran. Women must have access to football stadiums of any competition organised by any football body and any national association in the world.
Conclusions
- Domestic competition is most important for clubs.
- Clubs stressed that UEFA Club Competitions must be open competitions. That means qualification must be based on domestic results. Any closed competition model would be a giant killer factor for clubs. Keep the dream alive for clubs is key.
- UEFA competitions revenues have a serious effect on domestic competitions of any country and size, big and small.
- Clubs raised common concern about the growing gap in competitive balance.
- The whole football ecosystem needs a fairer financial distribution even for the new recently introduced third-tier competition.
- European football must be based on organic growth and must benefit all clubs in Europe and not solely those participating regularly in UCC.
- The key to developing football is distributing the money in a fair and balanced way.
- Solidarity is a key principle and is very important for the development of the medium and small clubs across Europe.
- All stakeholders must be actively involved in the process for reforming European Club Competitions.