The European league association European Leagues was seen as the counterweight to the powerful club association ECA when it came to, for example, the distribution of money in the Champions League. But now the Spanish league has left the association and is supporting another organization – the opposition is divided.
“The European Leagues never make decisions”criticized Javier Tebas, president of Spain’s La Liga. “That’s why the Spanish league left the European Leagues. Going to Amsterdam to have a cup of coffee? I’m sorry, I’d rather stay in Madrid. You only win fights when you fight.”
Tebas, who rarely uses diplomatic words in the world of football officials, said these sentences in Brussels on October 11th. At that time there was an event Union of European Clubs (UEC), which in the future wants to form a counterweight to the powerful club association (ECA) on behalf of smaller clubs. But that was always the role of the European Leagues. Now it becomes clear how divided this opposition is.
Javier Tebas, president of Spain’s La Liga
“This is neither good for La Liga nor for the European Leagues”
The European Leagues, in which both the German Football League (DFL) with the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga and the German Football Association (DFB) with the 3rd league are represented, met on Friday (October 26th, 2023) in Latvia’s capital Riga for its general assembly. It became clear: The departure of the Spanish league has left its mark; La Liga is currently the second most important national league in Europe, both in terms of sport and finance, behind the English Premier League.
“Membership with us is voluntary”said Jacco Swart, managing director of the European Leagues, after the general meeting. “Tebas made the decision because the association obviously didn’t develop the way he wanted. Many of our members have said that this is neither good for La Liga nor for the European Leagues as an association. I’m now concentrating on ours members.” There is now a lot of work to be done, because the withdrawal of the Spanish league is affecting many areas.
Jacco Swart, Managing Director of the European Leagues
Seat of the leagues in the UEFAExecutive Committee remains empty for now
The European Leagues are entitled to a place on the UEFA Executive Committee, the most powerful body in European football. In addition to numerous representatives of the national associations, there are also two representatives of the ECA. The league headquarters is now empty – because it was Tebas who most recently sat on the executive committee for the European Leagues. Tebas has vacated the place; he has not been listed on the UEFA website for weeks.
The search for a successor also shows a division within the European Leagues. According to information from Sportschau, many leagues, including the Premier League, Ligue 1 and the DFL, did not act according to Tebas’ wishes. Around half a dozen other leagues are on the Spaniard’s side, including Italy and Portugal. The succession is therefore a political decision.
The board of the European Leagues, which also includes one of the two DFL managing directors, Marc Lenz, has not yet agreed on a new representative for the executive committee. A president for the European Leagues, who recently did not exist in the association’s structure and who could potentially take over representation in UEFA, has also not been appointed. When asked by Sportschau, the DFL did not want to give an assessment of the situation in the European Leagues.
Marc Lenz, one of the two DFL managing directors alongside Steffen Merkel
Paradox: League association achieved goals – and is now in crisis
A paradoxical situation arises for the European Leagues. On the one hand, she has recently achieved success. The ECA, without which, as the most powerful interest group in UEFA, practically no significant change can be implemented, agreed to a new distribution of money in the European Cup. From 2024 onwards, twice as much money will be paid to the clubs in the leagues as before; this money is intended to reduce the gap between big and small in the national leagues. A demand made by the European Leagues for years was thus fulfilled. At the same time, the league association is now faced with the difficult task of having to reunite its members.
The new club association UEC, which, according to information from Sportschau, supported Tebas with start-up financing, also claimed success in distributing the money. So are the two organizations competing? “Our idea was born from the European Leagues, practically all leagues supported us”said Denis Gudasic, managing director of Lokomotiv Zagreb and board member of the UEC, in Brussels. There is a good relationship with the European Leagues, he emphasized. “It’s unfortunate that there are these disruptions now.” He was also present at the league meeting in Riga.
Many challenges for the national leagues and smaller clubs
There are currently similar challenges for the national leagues and smaller clubs:
- New competitions such as the FIFA Club World Cup with 32 teams attract dates and large sums of TV money, both of which national leagues and smaller clubs could miss in the future.
- The expansion of the Champions League and the other two European Cup competitions also ties up TV money and dates.
- The two competitions send a lot of money to the top clubs in the national leagues, increasing inequality between clubs. In several national leagues, money from the European Cup has ensured series champions for years.
At the UEC event in Brussels, a comparison was made to climate change. If these problems are not addressed now, the damage will no longer be able to be repaired at some point. The European Leagues and the World Leagues Forum as a global league association have also repeatedly criticized these problems at UEFA and FIFA for years and called for more involvement in decisions. So the goals of the UEC, the goals of Javier Tebas and the goals of the European Leagues are actually similar. The way to get there obviously remains controversial.