UEFA and ECA pen new agreement

By Football Italia staff

UEFA and the European Club Association signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding to 2024, which essentially staves off a Superleague.

The ECA Chairman is Juventus President Andrea Agnelli and he described today’s decision as “an important moment in the history of European football.

“The Memorandum of Understanding places ECA firmly at the heart of UEFA's decision-making process, in a manner which properly reflects clubs’ contribution to the development of the game. In addition, it sets the foundations and structure required to ensure, that together with UEFA, we meet the challenges the game faces to support its continued long-term growth.

“This can only be achieved through a collaborative and constructive engagement between our two organisations.”

The official statement on the Memorandum notes “the common willingness to further develop and evolve Financial Fair Play, but also to improve the International Match Calendar post-2024, with a view to ensuring enhanced harmonisation and separation between club and national team competitions and especially an overall release of pressure, allowing for proper rest and training periods for players.

“Good governance is also a focus, at both national association and club level. UEFA’s commitment in this respect is confirmed by having club representatives appointed to a number of additional relevant UEFA committees, thereby furthering clubs’ participation in UEFA’s decision-making structures.

Since the agreement has been extended until after UEFA EURO 2024, the financial reward recognising the contribution of clubs to the success of UEFA national team competitions has been updated to fully include the EURO 2024 competition cycle.”

The ECA had been pushing to set up a Superleague of top clubs, but this effectively staves off that possibility for several more years, as the clubs try to get more involved in the process.

“I am delighted that we have reached such an agreement and that we - as Europe’s football governing body - and European clubs will continue to work closely together to further promote, develop and shape the future of football across the continent,” said

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin.

“I would like to thank the ECA Executive Board and its Chairman Andrea Agnelli for the constructive and collaborative manner in which they have approached this memorandum of understanding for the benefit of European football as a whole.”

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin: "I'm delighted we reached an agreement and that we - as Europe’s football governing body - and European clubs will continue to work closely together to further promote, develop and shape the future of football across the continent." pic.twitter.com/B1QYEbd9bU — UEFA (@UEFA) February 6, 2019

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