Meet the new union that wants to empower clubs and restore European football’s competitive balance
Alamy
Union of European Clubs (UEC) was unveiled in June and seeks to give representation to the hundreds of professional teams not given full membership of the European Club Association (ECA).
“This is about becoming a stakeholder within that system and being able to present issues and have the ability to affect decision making process. The reality is that doesn't exist now.”
Why it matters: The ECA has just 110 members with full voting rights, but UEC point to 900 professional teams throughout Europe and say the existing body is dominated by the elite clubs.
The perspective: UEC will have to overcome a key challenge to be viable: The terms of UEFA’s MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with ECA currently precludes clubs from joining a rival.
12 October 2022 - 12:00 PM
“There has been a lot of work and time gone into this project. This is much bigger,” says Farrelly. “This is about smaller to medium sized clubs becoming a stakeholder within that system and being able to present issues, and have the ability to play a part in the decision making process of the game.”
Assuming relevance
Lokomotiva Zagreb,
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