By Samindra Kunti in Brussels
October 12 – Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has called for a proper regulator and organiser in European football to address the structural issues in the game, including the widening financial inequality among clubs.
Speaking at the meeting of the Union of European Clubs (UEC) in the Belgian capital, Parish (pictured) highlighted the conflict of interest inherent to European confederation UEFA which serves as both the organiser of competitions and the regulator of the game.
“UEFA have allowed themselves to be influenced by a group of clubs that they think will get the biggest media payment,” said Parish.
“You need a separation of the people who run the game and those who organise the game. We have moved away from that. A regulator should have the best interests of the game at heart.”
The future of football governance may in great part be shaped by the ruling of the European Court of Justice in the Super League case. Observers, including former FIFA governance chair Miguel Maduro, note that the Court is likely to deviate from the advocate general’s opinion.
This could open the doors again for a Super League as well as a new regulatory body to create a public legal framework without detracting fundamentally from the autonomy of sports.
“We are disenfranchised from the debate, none of us have a say in what goes on in European and global football,” added Parish. “We almost have no influence.”
Parish, however, said that his club has not yet become a member of the UEC, a new union that is seeking to give a voice to small and medium-sized clubs in Europe because of what it perceives as a lack of representation for those clubs in the European Club Association (ECA).
Crystal Palace was among a few English clubs in attendance in Brussels. Parish was also at the launch event of the UEC in April where he emphasised that clubs needed “a different voice”.
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