Battle ground Europe: Union of European Clubs vs European Club Association

Discussion in 'UEFA and Europe' started by feyenoordsoccerfan, May 3, 2023.

  1. In the wake of the Challenger like crash of the launch of the ESL, ECA tries to reap as much for the big clubs as possible.
    In here's a comment on that.
    https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/22200303/karren-brady-uefa-european-club-association/

    However, the ESL and the behaviour of the ECA has aroused an initiative, the Union of European Clubs.
    https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-supports-new-football-body-for-aspirational-pro-clubs/
    This has the support of the EU.

    EU supports new football body for ‘aspirational’ pro clubs
    Newly launched Union of European Clubs could be set for conflict with powerful European Club Association.

    [​IMG]
    The Union of European Clubs was endorsed by European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas in remarks to POLITICO | Bruno Zanardo/Getty Images

    By Ali Walker April 24, 2023 7:48 pm CET 3 minutes read.

    BRUSSELS — The EU on Monday signaled its support for a new football organization in Europe representing small- and medium-sized clubs.

    The Union of European Clubs, which launched Monday in Brussels and brands itself as the “down to earth” football organization, was endorsed by European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas in remarks to POLITICO.

    “I don’t see this as a problem or contributing to fragmentation [of European football]. It’s part of the same ecosystem, the same galaxy. It’s a positive thing,” Schinas said.


    “It makes sense in this European model of sport that clubs, regardless of their size, are part of the broader ecosystem. This is yet another planet that is coming to a galaxy that needs to work in harmony,” he added, after wrapping up his opening speech at the UEC’s launch event.

    The UEC aims to represent the hundreds of European professional clubs not under the umbrella of the powerful European Club Association, currently led by Paris Saint-Germain’s Qatari boss Nasser al-Khelaifi.

    Other speakers at the event slammed the ECA, setting up a potential conflict between the nascent organization and the long-established club body, which is officially recognized by European football’s governing body UEFA.

    Javier Tebas, president of Spain’s La Liga and an archrival of al-Khelaifi, said the ECA was only open for “tea, coffee, nice dinners and fantastic hotels” — but not for voting and decision-making.

    The UEC wants to run its organization on a one-member-one-vote basis, and provide a “voice” for unrepresented European professional football clubs, it said. It is the brainchild of Katarina Pijetlovic, who serves as the UEC’s general secretary; Dennis Gudasic, executive director at NK Lokomotiva Zagreb; and Gareth Farrelly, an Irish lawyer and former English Premier League footballer.

    Following the launch event, which was attended by 40 clubs from 25 countries, it will now begin the process of signing up official members. It will be open to professional first- and second-division clubs from across Europe, organizers said.


    Just don’t call them small clubs. We’re “aspirational,” said Crystal Palace Chairman Steve Parish, who was at the event on a fact-finding mission, along with four other English Premier League clubs.

    The organizers insisted they are not bidding to disrupt European football, which has been rocked for the past two years by a breakaway Super League attempt, but just want a seat at the table where decisions are made.

    Alex Muzio, chairman of Brussels club Union Saint-Gilloise which hosted the inaugural UEC event, said he felt the “ECA is dominated by bigger teams and the voice of clubs like [mine] is not really there.”

    In a statement, the ECA responded to the criticism: “ECA is open to clubs of all sizes from all 55 UEFA nations and will soon have over 330 voting members plus another 200 clubs contributing their voices to a network of common international interests. The vast majority of ECA’s members would regard any Premier League or LaLiga club as an ‘elite’ club, having access to vastly more financial and sporting resources than they do.”

    This article has been updated with the ECA response.


     
  2. Courtneysmith

    Courtneysmith Member

    marseille
    Scotland
    Aug 25, 2020
    The motto should have been “More for the few”.

    "Scottish clubs got ticked off by UEFA for staging domestic league matches at the same time as uefa champions league matches, yet UEFA removed it ban on domestic matches being staged at the same time as UEFA Champions League matches, when English clubs staged domestic matches at the exact same time as UEFA champions League Matches".

    "All clubs are of equal value always have been always will be"!
     
  3. Courtneysmith

    Courtneysmith Member

    marseille
    Scotland
    Aug 25, 2020
    #4 Courtneysmith, Jun 9, 2023
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2023
    The (main) reason the European Super League [ESL] was doomed was because of one fan who had £38 in JPMorgan Chase (JPM).

    JPMorgan Chase (JPM). being a financial backer of the ESL.

    "Not with my money"

    that is why the European Super League project failed!.


    Plus even if it had started operating with fans against it I would have made the suggestion of operation no money where fans deny the project money by not putting money into anything connected to the project thus no money for the European Super League no European Super League.
     
  4. Courtneysmith

    Courtneysmith Member

    marseille
    Scotland
    Aug 25, 2020
    The real problem as best staed by former Scotland manager Gordon
    Gordon Strachan is that "clubs are fishing for the same fish in different ponds"

    Basically if all teams in europe were in same country they would have the same access to the same riches based on sporting merit.
     

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