Soccer-UEFA urged to increase payments to non-elite clubs to reward player development
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Europa Conference League - Draw For Quarter Final, Semi Final and Final - UEFA Headquarters, Nyon, Switzerland - March 15, 2024 General view of the logo on the Europa Conference League trophy before the draw REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
(Reuters) -The Union of European Clubs on Monday proposed the creation of a financial system that would see continental governing body UEFA share 5% of its revenue from club competitions with low-ranked football clubs that develop elite players.
Last year, UEFA said the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League and Super Cup would generate a gross revenue of 4.4 billion euros in the 2024-25 season, 5% of which would be 220 million euros ($244.79 million).
Under the proposed system, titled 'Player Development Reward' (PDR), only clubs who did not reach the league phase of the Champions League would be eligible for payouts, which would be based on minutes played in UEFA competitions and prize money earned by players.
In a statement, the UEC, which represents non-elite professional clubs, said the PDR is "a pragmatic, merit-based approach to restoring fairness and balance in the football ecosystem...
"The concept has already been presented to the European Commission and to key stakeholders across football, receiving encouraging initial feedback," it added.
"The core principle is clear: clubs that invest in player development should be fairly rewarded when those players contribute to the success of European competitions."
The UEC added that nearly 1,500 clubs across Europe would have received PDR payments if the system had been in place last season, with over 400 clubs earning more than 100,000 euros.
UEFA has already committed 7% of its revenue for the 2024-27 cycle to clubs not taking part in men's continental competitions, but the UEC said UEFA's system was "outdated and misaligned with the goals of sustainable football."
Reuters has asked UEFA for comment.
The UEC was formed in 2022 and is separate to the European Club Association, which is headed by Nasser Al-Khelaifi and says it is the sole representative body of clubs in Europe.
The ECA, which has a Memorandum of Understanding with UEFA that runs until 2033, represents more than 440 clubs across the continent, although it is dominated by the big teams.
($1 = 0.8987 euros)
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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