Revista Nº 104 - Enero 2008 - Real Federación Española de Fútbol

6
Another step forward
The European Club Association, the body which will represent all 53 UEFA associations, has
just been launched in Nyon. Its birth has put an end to an era of discord which European
football’s ruling body neither sought nor desired and which reflected very different ways of
thinking. This situation was not good for anybody, neither UEFA, charged with looking after the
health of European football - something which it has done since its foundation and with laudable
success - nor for the clubs, estranged from the organisation’s guiding philosophy at the highest level
on specific issues and yet, of necessity, linked fraternally on many sporting grounds. These differences
no longer exist. The birth of the European Club Association brings with it the winding-up of the
G14, because many of the clubs who formed part of that organisation have cooperated decisively in
this new body, and this is something we should all celebrate.
If football is to function at full capacity, and to follow a constant path of growth, there must be unity
among the various groups involved in the sport. We cannot possibly think that a divided football
will bring about progress and it is clear that over the last few years several areas of conflict had driven
a wedge between the most powerful European clubs and the body which governs European football
and organises the hugely popular Champions League every year and, every four years, the European
Championship which together with the FIFA World Cup form the tournaments with the biggest world
impact. These fissures were eliminated in the Nyon meeting in January, which not only gave rise to a
strengthened group, the European Club Association, but to a more solid “marriage” with UEFA.
The conviction that a representative association could be achieved by means of dialogue and the
exchange of ideas was the key to the birth of the ECA. We should feel duly satisfied by that.
Michel Platini had embarked upon that road as soon as he took up his post as President of UEFA and
to have seen it take concrete shape is a triumph of reason and of those who participated in the tasks
of regulation and agreement to create a project which is extremely positive for all of us. I congratulate
UEFA and its President on such an achievement but would also like to congratulate Joseph S.
Blatter, President of FIFA, who participated wholeheartedly in the idea, who understood perfectly
what it meant, and who supported it without hesitation, and always in the interests of a football where
mutual understanding prevailed, and who has therefore played an enormous part in making this new
project a reality.
Karl Heinz Rummenigge said that the day the European Club Association was born was a “great
day for football” and I agree with him. Only a combination of understanding, trust and mutual
respect will provide the necessary harmony to walk forwards together, with a firm step, and this is the
situation we are now fortunate to find ourselves in. UEFA recognises the ECA as the sole representative
of the clubs at European level and the latter accept and acknowledge the sole authority of UEFA
and FIFA, which is also been delighted to join in the birth of the new European body.
If it is true that one of the points agreed on was that European clubs who loan their players to the
national squads will receive economic compensation, it is no less true that this was not the only
matter under discussion. The ECA, which will debate all of the issues which fall within its competence,
will also be a pluralistic body, representing clubs from its 53 national associations, to a greater
or lesser extent depending on their UEFA ranking. In other words, it will not be an elite group, but
rather a global forum, with the authority to discuss affairs and take decisions.
Of equal, or even greater, importance is the fact that the birth of the ECA and the demise of the
G14 have brought peace to the game which, while not in open conflict, did need and want to
resolve some serious differences of opinion . For that reason I have only praise for the invaluable
contribution made by the presidents of the two big Spanish clubs, Ramón Calderón (Real Madrid)
and Joan Laporta (FC Barcelona), who understood the situation and worked together with the other
clubs and also with UEFA.
T his is the dawn of a new era for European football. We should not be let ourselves be led into
believing that only economic issues have played an important role in this. I will not deny that
football revolves to a great extent around material issues but, beyond that, there exists a unity of
criteria and of thinking which are indispensable in making this marvellous sport hugely attractive,
extremely effective and more than capable of meeting the demands made of it. A sport which gets
better every day and which has just taken yet another step forward.
Revista de la RFEF
letter
from the
President