Champions League and Europa League given prize money boost

Europe’s top clubs have agreed a bumper new deal with UEFA, a week after trebling their income from FIFA for the next two World Cups.

The deal with European football’s governing body will ensure clubs share around £1.6b from involvement in the Champions League and Europa League for 2015-18, an increase of more than 30%.

Representatives from 145 European Club Association (ECA) clubs met at a two-day General Assembly in Stockholm, also attended by Jerome Valcke, FIFA general secretary.

ECA member clubs include Aston Villa, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Everton, Tottenham, Newcastle, Celtic, Hearts and Rangers.  

Two officials will join UEFA’s executive committee, most likely ECA chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, and Umberto Gandini, Pedro Lopez Jimenez or Evgeni Giner, all an ECA vice-chairman.

European clubs also supported the creation of a FIFA Professional Football Department, composed of FIFA, ECA and player representatives.

It will “serve as a platform to discuss all matters related to professional football, and will make recommendations to the FIFA Committees”.

A FIFA spokesperson told Sky Sports News HQ that the department will be “operational and administrative”, but details have yet to be finalised.

The aim is to have the new department in place by September.

It is understood the body that represents 214 European clubs would like representation on FIFA’s executive committee, although the ECA’s long-term objective has not been formally on the agenda.   

There are eight UEFA representatives on FIFA’s top decision-making committee.

Ivan Gazidis, Arsenal chief executive, and Peter Lawwell, Celtic chief executive, are both members of the ECA executive board.

Gazidis is not expected to be appointed to FIFA’s new department as he is already a member of FIFA’s Players’ Status Committee, which monitors regulations of player transfers for various competitions. 

Under a new deal, any changes to the international match calendar will require approval of Europe’s top clubs.

“The ECA is still a very young organisation.” said Karl-Heinz Rumminegge. “These achievements are an extraordinary success, which will strengthen the solidarity among the clubs and our sense of responsibility for football.”

The new deal has been welcomed by Michel Platini, who was re-elected as UEFA president last week until 2019.

“I am very pleased that we have extended our partnership with the ECA until 2022.” said Platini. “I have always believed that UEFA should work together with national associations and clubs in order to find the best ideas and solutions for European football. I look forward to seeing our relationship continue to blossom in the future as we make sure that our collective interests are promoted and protected.”

The ECA was created in 2008 in a peace deal between FIFA, UEFA and top clubs.