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Europe's top clubs reach agreement with UEFA, wait for FIFA approval
Source: Agencies |
February 29, 2012, Wednesday
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Europe's leading soccer clubs hailed a 'major breakthrough' yesterday after agreeing with UEFA to drop the unpopular August date for international friendlies.
European Clubs Association (ECA) chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, in an address to the body's general assembly in Warsaw, said an agreement had been reached with the European governing body over scrapping the date.
However, the German warned that world body FIFA had yet to sanction the move. FIFA itself said it was surprised by recent developments at the ECA, saying the association had hindered progress on the international calendar because its members had declined to attend FIFA committee meetings.
ECA said that it and UEFA had agreed that the international calendar would be made up of nine double-headers covering a two-year period, with no single friendlies. In a new Memorandum of Understanding between UEFA and the clubs, they agreed that the two matches of the double date for friendlies should be played on the same continent.
Insurance payments
The final tournaments of all confederations would end in mid-July in future, and players would not be expected to play in more than one international tournament a year. The ECA, comprising Europe's top 201 clubs, also reached agreement over insurance payments for players injured while on international duty, starting at Euro 2012.
It agreed an increase in benefits from UEFA for clubs whose players were involved in Euro 2012 and Euro 2016, with the increases to be announced at the UEFA Congress in Istanbul next month. With so many more African players now with European clubs, it was agreed that the Africa Cup of Nations should start as early as possible in January, when it was staged.
Rummenigge said the agreement was "a major break-through for European club football".
However, the German said problems remained with FIFA, adding: "Unfortunately, discussions with the FIFA president have failed to lead to a satisfactory outcome which takes account of the clubs' demands."
The new Memorandum, starting on June 1 and running until May 30 2018, also includes a new clause allowing clubs a "referral right" on all decisions affecting club football.
European Clubs Association (ECA) chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, in an address to the body's general assembly in Warsaw, said an agreement had been reached with the European governing body over scrapping the date.
However, the German warned that world body FIFA had yet to sanction the move. FIFA itself said it was surprised by recent developments at the ECA, saying the association had hindered progress on the international calendar because its members had declined to attend FIFA committee meetings.
ECA said that it and UEFA had agreed that the international calendar would be made up of nine double-headers covering a two-year period, with no single friendlies. In a new Memorandum of Understanding between UEFA and the clubs, they agreed that the two matches of the double date for friendlies should be played on the same continent.
Insurance payments
The final tournaments of all confederations would end in mid-July in future, and players would not be expected to play in more than one international tournament a year. The ECA, comprising Europe's top 201 clubs, also reached agreement over insurance payments for players injured while on international duty, starting at Euro 2012.
It agreed an increase in benefits from UEFA for clubs whose players were involved in Euro 2012 and Euro 2016, with the increases to be announced at the UEFA Congress in Istanbul next month. With so many more African players now with European clubs, it was agreed that the Africa Cup of Nations should start as early as possible in January, when it was staged.
Rummenigge said the agreement was "a major break-through for European club football".
However, the German said problems remained with FIFA, adding: "Unfortunately, discussions with the FIFA president have failed to lead to a satisfactory outcome which takes account of the clubs' demands."
The new Memorandum, starting on June 1 and running until May 30 2018, also includes a new clause allowing clubs a "referral right" on all decisions affecting club football.
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