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Interview: ECA chief urges football ecosystem to embrace flexibility of external funding and outsource core business costs

CM

Handout | "The thing that makes football maybe not unique, but certainly different, is the lack of flexibility within the football ecosystem to rapidly account for and adjust the economic levers to be able to cope with downturns," says Charlie Marshall, the European Club Association's (ECA) chief executive officer.

The European Club Association's (ECA) CEO, Charlie Marshall, says football should learn from other industries and increasingly employ shared services to make up for Covid-19's uncertainty.

Financial flexibility is essential in an environment where clubs are facing an impact from the pandemic of "well over" €6 billion on bottom line profits.

While football should not leap too quickly towards rescue packages – private or public – external financing can help the industry get back on its now demolished growth trajectory.

The need for reform has been highlighted by the crisis ahead of a crucial 2024 that is certain to upend the football industry.

11 November 2020 - 8:23 PM

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