By Andrew Warshaw in Istanbul
March 22 – Europe’s leading clubs today gained a valuable concession in their battle with the game’s governing bodies when UEFA agreed to hand them massive payouts for players released for the European Championships in June.
UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino (pictured) revealed that €100 million (£83 million/$131 million) would be allocated to the clubs covering the 2012 tournament in Poland and Ukraine, rising to €150 million (£125 million/$197 million) for the 2016 finals in France.
In 2008, the figure was €55 million (£46 million/$72 million).
Last month, UEFA and leading European clubs agreed to a new international match calendar from 2015 featuring nine double headers played over two years.
The agreement, hailed as a major breakthrough, included the new compensation package – with precise amounts kept secret until today.
“Today is an excellent day for day for European football,” said Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (pictured left with UEFA President Michel Platini), head of the 200-strong European Club Association (ECA), after signing a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UEFA that runs until 2018 and includes an as yet unspecified separate amount of insurance for injured players.
“The agreement reflects an improved balance between national team and club football and is a great success for the European family.
“The talks were not always easy, with the interests of club football on the one hand and the national associations on the other.
“At the end of the day we have reached a fair compromise.”
Rummenigge used the opportunity at the UEFA Congress here to urge FIFA to follow Europe’s lead.
Last month he rejected an invitation to join other stakeholders at a FIFA meeting to plot future strategy because of perceived foot dragging and a refusal by the world governing body to give the clubs a greater say in the running of the game.
Specifically aiming comments towards FIFA President Sepp Blatter, sitting a few feet away at the Istanbul Congress Centre, Rummenigge used far more conciliatory language than in the past.
“I want to avoid any misunderstanding which may have occurred in the past,” he said.
“Our goal is not power, we don’t want a revolution.
“Dear Sepp, please open the door of FIFA, we would we would welcome it if we could have a similar agreement.”
While Blatter is unlikely to give ground on giving clubs greater representation, he did reveal that FIFA are ready to extend insurance cover for players injured on international duty.
Blatter said the insurance will be approved at next week’s meeting of FIFA’s Executive Committee and likely be ratified at the organisation’s Congress in May.
It will take effect at the start of the European qualification phase for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
“You have to take into account the best interest of the players,” Blatter told delegates here.
“The players are the actors.”
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