European Club Association

The European Club Association ( ECA ) is a body representing the interests of professional football associations in UEFA . UEFA, association and member of the UEFA club association. It was formed in 2008 to replace the G-14 , which included a small number of elite clubs and was unrecognised by UEFA. The ECA’s mission statement is „to create a new, more democratic governance model that truly reflects the key role of the clubs“. ^[1]

History

Formed on the dissolution of the G-14 group in January 2008, as from the 2013-15 cycle membership, the European Club Association Represents 220 clubs made up of 106 114 Ordinary Members and Associated Members, with au moins un from Each of the 53 national associations. The precise number of Ordinary Member clubs from Each member Association Will Be Established every two years at the end of the UEFA season on the basis of the UEFA ranking of ict member associations selon The Following principles:

National Association position in UEFA ranking	Number of ECA Ordinary Member clubs
1 to 3	5
4 to 6	4
7 to 15	3
16 to 28	2
29 to 53	1

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge Was the acting chairman ^[2] [3] before being white officiellement Elected chairman of the ACE When icts 103 members met for the first time on the 7-8 July 2008 at UEFA headquarters in Nyon , Switzerland. ^[4]

In addition to replacing the G-14, which was dissolved in favor of the ECA on 15 February 2008, ^[5] the new ECA also replaces UEFA’s European Club Forum (of which Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was also chairman). ^[6] [7] The European Club Forum used the European Club Association, with 102 members picked every two years. ^[8]

Structure

At the creation of the European Club Association in January 2008, it was agreed that a transitional ECA Board would represent ECA and its 16 founding members until the next General Assembly would end up at the end of the season, when elections for a new Executive Board would be Held. It was decided that the ECA Board would include eleven members, in addition to the Executive Board to the UEFA Professional Football Strategy Council. The European Club Association will also provide half of the members of the UEFA Club Competitions Committee. ^[3]

The transitional ECA Board was Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Chairman, Bayern Munich ), Joan Laporta (Vice Chairman, Barcelona ), John McClelland (Vice Chairman, Rangers ), Umberto Gandini (Vice Chairman, Milan ), Peter Kenyon ( Chelsea) ), Maarten Fontein ( AZ ) and Jean-Michel Aulas ( Lyon ). ^[3]

The ECA Executive Board (2015-2017) currently being held by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Chairman, Bayern Munich ), Umberto Gandini (first vice-chairman, Milan) and Pedro López Jiménez (second vice-chairman, Real Madrid ), Josep Maria Bartomeu (Barcelona), Evgeny Giner (third vice-chairman, CSKA Moscow ), Andrea Agnelli ( Juventus ), Ed Woodward ( Manchester United ), Jean-Michel Aulas (Lyon), Ivan Gazidis ( Arsenal ), Edwin van der Sar ( Ajax), Theodoros Giannikos ( Olympiacos), Michael Verschueren ( Anderlecht ), Peter Lawwell ( Celtic ), Dariusz Mioduski ( Legia Warsaw ) and Aki Riihilahti ( HJK ). Elections for the Executive Board for the 2017-2019 cycle are set to take place at the next General Assembly in Geneva in September 2017.

The European Club Association is made up of numerous bodies including working groups, expert panels and committees. These are as follows:

Working Groups

Since the creation of the ECA, Working Groups have been an important cornerstone of ECA’s organizational structure. They provide active advice and support to the ECA Executive Board and to ECA representatives participating in committees or working groups at UEFA , FIFA and EU level. Their contribution is key and strategic to the association. In addition, they drive membership engagement and communication across the organization on key issues, challenges and opportunities. ^[9] All working groups are made up of both Member States and Associated Member Clubs from all four subdivisions.

Competitions Working Group : Chaired by ECA first Vice-Chairman Umberto Gandini (Milan), the Competitions Working Group is in charge of the management and control of the club competitions through the UEFA and FIFA club football committees. ^[9]

Finance Working Group : Chaired by ECA Executive Board Member Jean-Michel Aulas (Lyon), the Finance Working Group, to optimize the resource allocation and club business management. ^[9]

Institutional Relations Working Group : Chaired by ECA Executive Board Member Theodoros Giannikos (Olympiacos), the Institutional Relations Working Group seeks to strengthen the ECA position and representation among different stakeholders in European football. ^[9]

Marketing & Communication Working Group : Chaired by ECA Executive Board Member Ed Woodward (Manchester United), the Marketing & Communication Working Group oversees issues on football marketing, communication and promotion, and aims to define a coherent and up-to-date strategy commercial opportunities. ^[9]

Youth Working Group : Chaired by ECA Executive Board Member Edwin van der Sar (Ajax), the Youth Working Group, is trying to stimulate, develop and protect the grassroots of European football. ^[9]

Expert Panels

Legal Advisory Panel : tasked with bringing together legal experts and arbitration members of ECA Member Clubs in order to share expertise and knowledge ^[10]

Financial Fair Play Panel : Collaborating with UEFA in the further development, implementation and evaluation of the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations.

Statutory Affairs Panel : Entrusted with dealing with and analyzing membership applications, issues of eligibility and the application of ECA Statutes.

Committees

Social Dialogue Committee : Ensures a close relationship between ECA, EPFL , FIFPro Europe Division , UEFA and the European Commission . ^[11]

Women’s Football Committee : Acts as a platform to discuss issues related to women’s football and to establish a dialogue with relevant stakeholders in women’s football. The committee originally consisted of 23 clubs including the women’s section of 18 ECA members and 5 non-ECA member women’s teams ranked top of their respective National Associations. The 31 members, with the non-ECA member clubs marked in italics , are as follows:

NÖSV Neulengbach (AUT), Standard Women from Liège (BEL), Sparta Prague (CZE), Brøndby (DEN), Arsenal Ladies (ENG), Manchester City Ladies (ENG), Chelsea Ladies (ENG), Valencia Femenino (ESP), Levadia Tallinn(EST), Honka Espoo (FIN), Olympique Lyonnais Women (FRA), Paris Saint-Germain (FRA), 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam (GER), Bayern Munich (GER), PAOK (GRE), Torres (ITA ), Skonto FC (LVA), Birkirkara(MLT), Twente (NED), Lillestrøm FK Kvinner (NOR), FC Rossiyanka (RUS), Slovan Bratislava (SVK), Elitdamfotbal (SWE), Zurich Frauen (SUI). ^[12]

Achievements

Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by UEFA in 2008, the European Club Association has been recognized as the body representing the interests of clubs at the European level. As part of the Memorandum of Understanding, the UEFA European Championship and the National Association for European Championships, which have contributed to the successful staging of a European Championship. The target distribution amount for Euro 2008 is € 43.5 million (US $ 62.8 million), with the payments made on a „per day per player“ basis of approximately € 4,000. ^[2]As part of the planning moves, UEFA and FIFA will also enter into a series of commitments to the clubs, including financial contributions for participation in European Championships and World Cups, subject to the approval of their respective bodies. ^[6]

A renewed Memorandum of Understanding for the 2012-2018 period was signed on 22 March 2012 between ECA and UEFA at the XXXVI Ordinary UEFA Congress. The memorandum was signed by ECA Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and UEFA President Michel Platini . It is a way of being a relationship between European clubs and Europe’s governing body, reflecting a balance between national team and club football. The new MoU supersedes the 2008 MoU and is now in effect until 30 May 2018. ^[13] The four key topics of the new MoU are as follows:

International Match Calendar

The International Match Calendar, a key topic of discussions, makes the release of national team players compulsory for clubs on the dates it highlights. The 2014-18 International Match Calendar is based on a concrete proposal put forward by ECA, and the efforts of a dedicated working group of representatives from ECA, EPFL , FIFPro , and UEFA. The working group’s recommendation, acknowledged by FIFA , offers a more balanced system of nine dual-headers over two years and is profitable for both clubs and national associations. ^[13]

Insurance for Players‘ Salaries

The Club Protection Program, first place in the UEFA EURO 2012 in Poland and Ukraine, has been taken over by the FIFA Congress in Budapest in May 2012. ^[14] It now cover all clubs that release players for A-national teal matches listed on the International Match Calendar, including the FIFA Olympic Games . ^[13]The Club Protection Program provides compensation for clubs in the event that national A-team players participating in their national association temporarily total disablement (TTD) as a result of bodily injuries caused by an accident. Players are insured to a maximum of one year from the date of the excess period and a maximum of € 7.5 million. ^[15]

Distribution for EURO Benefits

As stated in the 2008 MoU between ECA and UEFA, the UEFA Executive Committee agreed to a total of € 43.5 million for Euro 2008 in Switzerland and Austria, and € 55 million for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. ^[16] With the renewal of the MoU, the benefits for clubs have increased to € 100 million and are set to increase to € 150 million for Euro 2016 . ^[13]UEFA and ECA have developed a new distribution mechanism. The purpose of this agreement is to provide a balanced rate of return, and to provide a higher rate of return. For the Euro 2012, the total amount of € 100 million was split between the final tournament (60%) and the qualifying phase (40%). This new distribution mechanism has been awarded to 578 clubs for qualifying matches and the final tournament, a significant increase from the 181 clubs that received a share after UEFA EURO 2008. ^[13]

Governance

Finally, the new MoU has also gained a greater influence for clubs in the decision-making processes at UEFA. In the future, clubs are guaranteed to have their decision taken. ECA representatives are appointed from the Executive Board in both the UEFA Club Competitions Committee and the UEFA Professional Football Strategy Council. ^[13]

Education

Club Management Guide (CMG)

Published in 2015 the Club Management Guide ^[17] aims to spread the knowledge and know-how of club management between football clubs in Europe, as well as offering a practical benchmark in which clubs can learn from. The CMG reviews different aspects of club management such as a sporting club, business and community activities, as well as internal and external environments and strategy development. The CMG is compiled using personal experiences, case studies, graphs, written content and key lessons learned. The CMG does not have a claim for a good club, it should be run, it looks for a good offer of life insurance.

Club Management Program (CMP)

The CMP ^[18] was created by the requests for clubs and clubs to follow the Club Management Guide. The CMP aims at strengthening the knowledge of ECA Member Clubs in all areas of management by the sharing of expertise and know-how. The program runs for a year and a half, during which time there are six interactive seminars based around Europe. The seminars are a mix of academic and professional presentations, club case studies as well as interactive group working sessions. The program allows participants to expand their knowledge on the club and to share their personal experiences.

Publications

Community & Social Responsibility Report

In September 2011, the European Club Association published its first Community & Social Responsibility (CSR) Report. The aim of this publication is to present the beneficial work of European football clubs in the field of CSR. The report is a collection of 54 ECA Member Clubs‘ CSR projects. All projects underline that football, and sport in general, have an important social and educational role to play.

ECA Legal Bulletin

As of 2011, the European Club Association has published a yearly Legal Bulletin, outlining key recurrent legal issues faced by club representatives. The legal bulletins to deal with clubs with third party ownership, etc.

ECA Report on Youth Academies in Europe

In September 2012, ECA published a Report on Youth Academies in Europe, ^[19] which provides a benchmark and provides a comparable perspective that underlines different approaches and philosophies of youth academies across Europe.

ECA Study on the Transfer System in Europe

In March 2014, ECA published a study on the transfer system, which offers an in-depth overview of all incoming and outgoing transfer transactions involving European clubs over a two-year period. The ECA Executive Board mandated the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and LIUC University to carry out this work.

ECA Women’s Football Club Analysis

In 2014, ECA published an analysis on Women’s Football. This report of the ECA analyzes women’s football from a club perspective. Such matters as women’s club structure, relations with stakeholders and key success factors in the women’s game are addressed.

ECA Club Management Guide (see education)

Published in 2015, this publication is a unique mixture of practical and conceptual football club management, focusing on club core activities, environment and strategies. The ECA Club Management Guide is a collation of club representatives. An extract is available in 9 languages.

Founding members

The following 16 clubs founded the ECA in 2008:

All ECA members

Ordinary Member Clubs are marked in italics ^[20]

Country	Football clubs
albania	Kukesi – Vllaznia – Tirana
andorra	Sant Julià – Santa Coloma
armenia	Pyunik – Banants – Mika
austria	Red Bull Salzburg – Vienna Wien – Rapid Wien – Sturm Graz
azerbaijan	Qarabağ – Neftchi – AZAL – Khazar Lankaran
belarus	BATE Borisov – Dinamo Minsk – Shakhtyor Soligorsk
belgium	Anderlecht – Club Brugge – Standard Liege – Gent – Genk
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Sarajevo – Široki Brijeg – Željezničar
bulgaria	Botev Plovdiv – Sofia Levski – Ludogorets Razgrad
croatia	Dinamo Zagreb – Rijeka – Hajduk Split
cyprus	APOEL – Apollon Limassol – Anorthosis Famagusta – Omonia
Czech Republic	Slavia Prague – Viktoria Pilsen – Sparta Prague – Slovan Liberec – Teplice
denmark	Copenhagen – Esbjerg fB – Nordsjælland – Odense – Brøndby – Aalborg BK – Midtjylland
England	Manchester United – Chelsea – Arsenal – Liverpool – Manchester City – Aston Villa – Everton – Newcastle United – Tottenham Hotspur
estonia	Levadia Tallinn – Flora Tallinn
Faroe Islands	HB Tórshavn – EB / Streymur – B36 Tórshavn – NSÍ Runavík
finland	HJK – FC Inter Turku
la France	Lyon – Bordeaux – Marseille – Paris Saint-Germain – Lille – Monaco – Montpellier – Rennes – Saint-Etienne
georgia	Dinamo Tbilisi
Germany	Bayern Munich – Schalke 04 – Borussia Dortmund – Werder Bremen – VfB Stuttgart – Bayer Leverkusen – Borussia Mönchengladbach – Eintracht Frankfurt – Hannover 96 – Hamburger SV – VfL Wolfsburg
Gibraltar	Lincoln Red Imps
greece	Olympiacos – PAOK – Atromitos – Asteras Tripolis – Panathinaikos
hungary	Debrecen – Budapest Honvéd – Ferencváros – Videoton
iceland	KR Reykjavík – FH – Keflavík
Israel	Hapoel Be’er Sheva FC – Maccabi Haifa FC – Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv – Maccabi Tel Aviv
italy	Internazionale – Milan – Roma – Juventus – Fiorentina – Napoli – Sampdoria – Udinese – Lazio
kazakhstan	Aktobe – FK Shakter Karaganda – Irtysh Pavlodar
latvia	Ventspils – Skonto
lithuania	Žalgiris – Sūduva – Trakai
liechtenstein	Vaduz
luxembourg	F91 Dudelange – Grevenmacher
Macedonia	Rabotnički – Vardar – Shkëndija
malta	Valletta – Birkirkara
moldova	Sheriff Tiraspol – Zimbru Chişinău – Dacia Chişinău
Montenegro	Budućnost Podgorica – Zeta
Netherlands	PSV – Ajax – Twente – AZ – Feyenoord – Heerenveen – Utrecht – Speed
Northern Ireland	Linfield – Cliftonville – Crusaders – Glentoran
norway	Rosenborg – Molde – Brann – Lillestrøm – Vålerenga – Viking
poland	Lech Poznań – Warsaw Legacy – Wisła Kraków – Ruch Chorzów – Śląsk Wrocław
Portugal	Benfica – Sporting CP – Porto – Marítimo – Braga
ireland	St Patrick’s Athletic – Shamrock Rovers
romania	Steaua Bucureşti – Cluj FCR – Astra Giurgiu – Pandurii Târgu Jiu
russia	CSKA Moscow – Zenit Saint Petersburg – Rubin Kazan – Moscow Spartak – Lokomotiv Moscow
San Marino	Tre Fiori – Murata – Tre Penne
Scotland	Celtic – Motherwell – Aberdeen – Hearts – * Rangers [note 1] [21]
serbia	Partizan – Red Star Belgrade – Vojvodina
Slovakia	MŠK Žilina – Slovan Bratislava – Ružomberok – Trenčín
slovenia	Maribor – Domžale – Olimpija Ljubljana
spain	Real Madrid – Barcelona – Atletico Madrid – Sevilla – Valencia – Villarreal – Athletic Bilbao – Málaga – Real Sociedad
sweden	Helsingborgs IF – Elfsborg IF – Djurgårdens IF – IFK Gothenburg – AIK – Malmö FF
switzerland	Basel – Zürich – Young Boys – Thun – Grasshopper – Sion
turkey	Galatasaray – Trabzonspor – Bursaspor – Fenerbahce – Beşiktaş
Ukraine	Shakhtar Donetsk – Dynamo Kyiv – Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk – Chornomorets Odesa [22]
Wales	The New Saints – Bangor City

See also

• European Professional Football Leagues
• European Multisport Club Association

Notes