European Leagues, the association of European Professional Football Leagues, held its 38th Ordinary General Assembly in Lisbon today.
The ongoing speculation regarding the evolution of European Club Competitions beyond 2024 was a main topic of the meeting. The leagues stand firm on the following positions, which are key to protect domestic football:
- The Leagues defend the basic values of the European sport model, based on sporting merits, an open access pyramid structure where all clubs form the foundation and all clubs could live the dream to reach the top.
- The passion of football fans is driven by local football and by their tradition to go to the stadium with family and friends on Saturday and Sunday. The leagues defend the current calendar which guarantees a proper balance between domestic and European Football.
- The Leagues reiterated that they have primacy over their own competitions’ structures, formats and calendars.
In this context, the Leagues are calling a meeting of their Club Advisory Platform on May 6 and 7 in Madrid. All Professional football clubs in Europe are invited by European Leagues to discuss the evolution of European Club Competitions and the threat domestic leagues and clubs face.
On the same week, on May 8, the European Leagues Board of Directors will meet the Executive Committee of UEFA for a discussion which will focus on the evolution of professional football in Europe beyond 2024. The European Leagues hope the May 8 meeting with UEFA will be the opportunity to create an open and transparent dialogue to establish a proper and inclusive decision-making process for the benefit of all professional clubs and leagues in Europe.
With respect to UCC cycle 2021/2024, the Leagues today reiterated their call to implement a much fairer revenue distribution. The Leagues believe it is imperative to increase solidarity substantially to protect and enhance competitive balance at domestic level. It is important to implement a new revenue distribution model which could give the opportunity to all clubs, and not to just a few, to compete in a fair competitive environment.
During the General Assembly the Association has endorsed the inclusion of the Northern Ireland League as new Development Member. European Leagues now has 36 Member Leagues and Associations of Clubs from 29 European countries.
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