French Football Convention : « What the ECA wants, this is what its 232 clubs want » (J-M Aulas, OL)

"Recently we have seen more political than pragmatic positions" (J-M Aulas, OL)

• "Recently, we have seen more political than pragmatic positions. It is important to show the work of the ECA, to recall what the ECA brings in the context of the professionalization of football and the development at a European scale.

• The ECA has an absolutely unique expert structure, which is multi-country. I have never seen this, not even at the FFF. The ECA has an extremely diversified representative-ness, and represents the actors that are the clubs in a very democratic structure, with a lot of know-how.

"A very cavalier vote, in a populist atmosphere, with something of an undefined analysis"

• The LFP, which represents 40 clubs (Ligue 1 and Ligue 2), organized a very cavalier vote (French rejection of the reform project of the Champions League as discussed by the ECA and UEFA on 15/05/2019), in a populist atmosphere, with something of an undefined analysis, to sanction a lot of topics that have not yet been clearly defined, with Ligue 2 clubs that will never go into these competitions... This does not seem to me the right level of debate.

• I do not feel concerned by a vote of the French League that does not understand all the issues of the future."

Jean-Michel Aulas, chairman of Olympique Lyonnais, on 27/05/2019

"We are at a pivotal moment in the history of our sport" (J-H Eyraud, OM)

• "We are at a pivotal moment in the history of our sport.

• 25 years ago, football was a local economy because the main source of revenue was ticketing, which now only accounts for around 14%. Today, it is a global economy. In England, 11 clubs would still earn tremendous money this season with no one in their stadiums.

• I am impressed by the organization and quality of the exchanges within the ECA.

"French football is in a defensive posture while we should be offensive with our strengths"

• I abstained (in the French LFP vote held on 15/05/2019 about the UEFA-ECA reform project) because I am particularly suspicious of the figures of €400m in losses for French football mentioned (by the LFP in their analysis of the project), even as French clubs will have entered a new and more profitable cycle of domestic TV rights.

• 10 of the 15 best TV audiences (in France) this season involved Olympique de Marseille, which has the best TV audiences in France, and the best home attendance. I intend to exercise my entrepreneurial freedom, and Frank McCourt (American owner of Marseille) is with me. What would prevent us from participating in this new competition?

• French football is in a defensive posture while we should be offensive with our strengths. There are still more viewers for a PSG - OM Ligue 1 match than for a PSG - FC Barcelona Champions League match.

• There is still a need to work towards a final project, which will probably not be like the one currently on the table."

Jacques-Henri Eyraud, president of Olympique de Marseille, on 27/05/2019

"The problem is big decisions are all made at the confederation and federation level, when these decisions primarily affect the clubs and players" (M. Centenaro, ECA)

• "The ECA counts 232 club members from all 55 national associations (109 ordinary voting members; 123 associate members), spread across 4 sub-divisions based on the UEFA coefficient rankings. And ECA's purpose is to safeguard, strengthen, and share European club football.

• Now, ECA is recognized as the sole body to directly represent clubs to UEFA. The main discussions tend to be around Competitions, Calendar, and Player Status. The problem is big decisions are all made at the confederation and federation level, when these decisions primarily affect the clubs and players. ECA is here to help the clubs gain more voice in the decision-making process.

• From all levels, from the ECA subdivision 4 clubs of an average revenue of €1.8m, to the top elite subdivision 1 of global clubs, the answer is to have more consistent access to European football. The smaller the club, the more dependent they can be on European revenue for survival. The domestic market brings zero to these clubs.

"We must think about the future, nothing has been decided, the discussion is only just now beginning"

• The clubs in subdivision 3 and 4 need more access to European football. And look at Ajax, a subdivision 2 club. They make the semi-finals of the Champions League this year, but next they start over again, with two rounds of qualifying to see if they can even make it back to group stage. And if they don't, then they have to think about selling players, and losing their cycle of talent.

• So this is the discussion that will take place in European football, in Malta on 06 and 07/06/2019, for a pan-European (cup) system of three levels, in connection with the domestic leagues. To create more avenues (to European competition), always based on sporting merit, for clubs to develop and maintain a place in Europe. To begin to think about the future.

• And I think these are good questions, healthy questions for all of football. We must think about the future. And nothing has been decided, the discussion is only just now beginning."

Michele Centenaro, secretary general of the ECA European Club Association , 27/05/2019

European Club Association (ECA)

Objet : organisme indépendant qui représente les clubs au niveau européen et qui offre aussi ses services comme conseiller sur le football, tant sur l’aspect sportif qu’entrepreneurial

Création : janvier 2008, en remplacement du G14 et du Forum des Clubs Européens

Siège : Nyon, Suisse

Membres : plus de 700 clubs (en juillet 2024) issus des 55 fédérations nationales membres de l’UEFA
Président  : Nasser Al-Khelaïfi (QAT / Paris Saint-Germain) depuis le 21/04/2021, a succédé à Andrea Agnelli (ITA, Juventus FC), qui a démissionné le 18/04/2021.
Chief Executive Officer  : Charlie Marshall (nomination annoncée le 09/04/2020)

Objectifs :

• sauvegarder et promouvoir les intérêts des clubs européens et du football

• représenter les intérêts des clubs comme employeurs et agir en tant que partenaire social

• contribuer au développement des compétitions de clubs de l’UEFA

• contribuer à la bonne gouvernance du football européen

• favoriser l’échange d’informations et de bonnes pratiques entre les clubs

• soutenir et défendre les valeurs sportives et les principes du football européen

• maintenir les contacts, la coopération et les négociations avec les organisations liées au football ou avec les institutions publiques et privées

Comité exécutif

• Nasser Al-Khelaïfi

• Jan-Christian Dreesen

• Peter Lawwell

• Dariusz Mioduski

• Aki Riihilahti

• Martina Pavlová

• Míguel Ángel Gil Marin

• Dan Friedkin

• Jean-Claude Blanc

• Dennis Te Kloese

• Ali Y. Koç

• Niclas Carlnén

• Ferran Soriano

Conseil d’administration :

• Nasser Al-Khelaïfi (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA), président, également représentant de l’ECA au sein du comité exécutif de l’UEFA avec Miguel Ángel Gil Marín (Club Atlético de Madrid, LaLiga EA Sports)

• Martina Pavlova (Sparta Prague, République Tchèque), vice-présidente

• Jan-Christian Dreesen (FC Bayern Munich, Bundesliga), vice-président

• Dariusz Mioduski (Legia Varsovie, Pologne), vice-président

• Aki Riihilahti (HJK Helsinki, Finlande), vice-président

• Peter Lawwell (Celtic Glasgow, Écosse), vice-président

• Alessandro Antonello (FC Inter Milan, Serie A TIM), membre du board

• Jokin Aperribay (Real Sociedad, LaLiga EA Sports), membre du board

• Jan-Christian Dreesen (FC Bayern Munich, Bundesliga), membre du board

• Dennis te Kloese (Feyenoord Rotterdam, Eredivisie), membre du board

• Pablo Longoria (Olympique de Marseille, Ligue 1 Uber Eats), membre du board

• Oliver Mintzlaff (RB Leipzig, Bundesliga), membre du board

• Ferran Soriano (Manchester City, Premier League), membre du board

• Tore Bjørseth Berdal (Rosenborg, Norvège), membre du board

• Rui Manuel Cesar Costa (SL Benfica, Liga Portugal Betclic), membre du board

• Bart Verhaeghe (Club Bruges, Belgique), membre du board

• Ali Y. Koç (Fenerbahce, Süper Lig), membre du board

• Stephan Reiter (RB Salzbourg, Admiral Bundesliga), membre du board

• Niclas Carlnén (Malmo FF, Suède), membre du board

• Daniel Rommedahl (FC Copenhague, Danemark), membre du board

• Pál Orosz (Ferencvaros, Hongrie), membre du board

• Asif Asgarov (Qarabag, Azerbaïdjan), membre du board

• Aki Riihilahti (HJK Helsinki, Finlande), membre du board

• Michael Verschueren, membre indépendant

• Michele Centenaro, membre indépendant

• Michele Kang (Olympique Lyonnais féminin, D1 Arkema), représentante du football féminin

• Martina Pavlova (Sparta Prague, République Tchèque), représentante du football féminin

• Juan José Sartori (AS Monaco FC, Ligue 1 Uber Eats), représentant de la subdivision 1

• Stacy Johns (Grasshopper Club Zurich, Suisse), représentant de la subdivision 2

• Raphael Landthaler (Viktoria Plzen, République Tchèque), représentant de la subdivision 3

• Kuno Tehva (Nomme Kalju FC, Estonie), représentant de la subdivision 4

• Jean-Claude Blanc (Manchester United FC, Premier League), représentant au sein du conseil d’administration de la société UEFA Club Competitions SA

• Dan Friedkin (AS Roma, Serie A TIM), représentant au sein du conseil d’administration de la société UEFA Club Competitions SA

• Fernando Carro (Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Bundesliga), représentant au sein du conseil d’administration de la société UEFA Club Competitions SA

• Peter Lawwell (Celtic Glasgow, Écosse), représentant au sein du conseil d’administration de la société UEFA Club Competitions SA

• Dariusz Mioduski (Legia Varsovie, Pologne), représentant au sein du conseil d’administration de la société UEFA Club Competitions SA

Quatre femmes nommées au conseil d’administration pour « faire progresser l’agenda de l’ECA en matière d’équité, de diversité et d’inclusion » :

• Valentina de Laurentiis (SSC Napoli, Serie A TIM),

• Aleksandra Milošević (Etoile Rouge de Belgrade, Serbie)

• Vlatka Peras (GNK Dinamo Zagreb, Croatie)

• Azra Numanović (FK Sarajevo, Bosnie-Herzégovine)

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Catégorie : Syndicats Professionnels

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Adresse du siège

Route de St-Cergue 9
1260 Nyon Suisse

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