June 17 – The European Club Association (ECA) held its first in-person Executive Board meeting since February 2020 earlier this week in Munich.
Chaired by the newly elected Nasser Al-Khelaifi (PSG) and attended by UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, it was a visible step towards healing of divisions that were opened by the disastrous European Super League (ESL), and ultimately a restatement of the unity European football found in the aftermath.
Al-Khelaifi has taken over at the ECA replacing Čeferin’s former best friend Andrea Agnelli (Juventus), one of the architects of the ECL whose duplicity duped Ceferin, UEFA and the ECA in what is probably the most remarkable and blatant act of deception ever seen in European football politics (if you know of others please write in and we will compile a top ten).
Following the meeting the ECA said it would build on its “trusted relationship” with UEFA via a new Memorandum of Understanding “intended to define the landscape post 2024, which at its core will seek to safeguard the future long term stability of European football.”
“ECA’s role in safeguarding the future of European football has never been more important. Moving forward, I will ensure ECA continues to protect the interests of all European clubs, their communities and fans,” said Al-Khelaifi.
As part of that future-proofing, UEFA and the ECA have opened discussion on financial support measures for European clubs to help them with their cash positions as well as the ECA commiting its “full” support towards UEFA’s Convention on the Future of European Football, which aims at securing long-term sustainability.
Discussion was also held on the harmonisation of the international match calendar and the protection of players from match overload.
And as for the Dirty Dozen of Europe’s breakaway wannabes, the ECA “welcomed the decision of 9 of the 12 breakaway clubs to renounce the project and reaffirm their commitment to ECA… A process of reintegration of the 9 clubs within ECA has now been laid out.”
Disciplinary proceedings into the other three have been suspended pending legal advice.
Suspended, not stopped. Neither the ECA nor Ceferin are yet in the mood to be forgiving.
“The attendance at today’s meeting by President Čeferin is testament to how European football is unbeatable when acting together as one. This will be the defining spirit through which I will lead ECA and our member clubs throughout my mandate as ECA Chairman,” said Al-Khelaifi.
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