The Union of European Clubs (UEC) has written a letter defending itself against the actions and growing power of the European Club Association ECA. The letter was sent on Wednesday to 400 European clubs as well as the European Football Union (UEFA) and the European leagues.
In it, the club union accuses the ECA of being a closed circle of large and powerful clubs that alone claims decisive influence on European club football – without taking the interests of smaller and medium-sized clubs into account.
“It should not be in the hands of the elite clubs to decide how much influence they grant others,” says the letter, which is available to Sportschau. It was announced that they wanted to form a counterweight to the ECA.
Smaller clubs should unite
That is why the smaller clubs were called upon to unite: “Individually, the clubs are powerless and cannot exert any influence on the rules to which they are subject. Together, united by the UEC, they have great collective power which they can use for a fair, “We can use a sustainable system. This is the only way to change the system established by the elite.”
The ECA had continued to expand its power since its founding in 2008. The distribution of starting places in the Champions League, the Europa League and the Conference League requires your approval, as do changes to the mode and, above all, to the distribution of income.
“Everything that has been given to the big clubs in recent years is based on one theme: Super League,” says William Martucci, director of the UEC, to Sportschau: “The biggest clubs have always threatened the Super League. Everyone else involved leagues, smaller clubs and UEFA have always bowed to requests for change in the face of threats.”