October 7 – The adoption of the report and resolution on “the role of EU policies in strengthening the European Sports Model” by the European Parliament, has been welcomed by both UEFA and the European Leagues Association.
UEFA said it is “a clear commitment to protect and strengthen the principles that define football in Europe: solidarity, open competitions, sporting merit, sustainability, inclusiveness, integrity and territoriality.”
UEFA said the resolution, led by Polish MEP and former Minister for Culture Bogdan Zdrojewski, aligns the EU Parliament “strongly with UEFA’s vision for the future”, with an emphasis on annual merit-based domestic performance (rather than closed leagues) for qualification to international competition, and the safeguarding of the balance between club and national team football.
With UEFA yesterday having to reluctantly approve the playing of two LaLiga and Serie A regular season fixtures on different continents, the report again brings into focus European belief that
The EU resolution is in response to a culture of greed and excess that has threatened to re-shape the European game, whether it is via a breakaway Super League or FIFA’s imposition of an international fixture calendat that presents a clear and present danger to European football’s social infrastructure, eco-system and broad-based sustainability.
As one of its resolution, the report “Encourages the Commission to use all the appropriate tools at its disposal to protect the European sport sector from any initiatives aimed at undermining it and transferring the value that it creates to outside of Europe”.
In that respect it is a clear backing of UEFA and European stakeholders in the face of financially opportunistic threats to the European game that benefit a few rather than European football’s many.
“The European Parliament has once again delivered a clear and powerful message on behalf of EU citizens: Europe stands up for its football model, which serves society as a whole, not just the profit of a few,” said UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.
“Football is a unique European success story. It is now time for the EU and national governments to further support it by providing the safeguards needed to ensure it continues to lead globally while staying rooted in communities.”
In a press statement the European Leagues said the resolution “encourages further steps to strengthen stakeholder representation in decision-making, while calling on the European Commission to promote social dialogue in sport as a key decision-making process.”
The European Leagues also highlighted the call for the Commission to use its legal mechanisms and to “provide clear guidelines on the application of EU law, including competition law, to the sports sector, also in light of recent judgments of the CJEU”.
The European Leagues and FIFPRO Europe have filed a complaint with the European Commission against FIFA arguing FIFA’s conflicting roles as governing body and competition organizer are a conflict of interest. It argues FIFA is using regulatory power to promote its own commercial interests at the expense of social partners, and the European game in particular.
Last week, following its Council meeting, FIFA took the remarkable step of trying to reverse the PR spin by accusing some of football most influential stakeholder bodies of “posing a threat to the existing global pyramid structure”. Essentially the same claim that was first made against them by the Europeans.
Although not naming any of the organisations directly, it was a clear reference to the legal challenges it has had both publicly and in the European courts by players’ union FIFPRO and the European Leagues Association.
The battle lines are now very clearly drawn and neither side looks prepared to compromise.
Europe feels it has already compromised enough, while in reality FIFA has shown no attempt at either compromise or mediation as it has conducted a full-on assault and dirty campaign, led by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, and aimed at dismantling Europe’s football powerhouse for its own gain.
European Leagues president Claudius Schäfer said:“Today’s vote of the European Parliament represents a wake-up call for the football industry, which is currently facing multiple challenges, but also a unique opportunity for European Institutions and football stakeholders to reshape the future governance of our sport in full compliance with EU law.
“We encourage all our Member Leagues, with their clubs’ representatives, but also the football stakeholders and those National Associations in European Football, which sit in the international bodies, to work together to implement the principles reflected in this resolution.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1759907640labto1759907640ofdlr1759907640owedi1759907640sni@n1759907640osloh1759907640cin.l1759907640uap1759907640
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