April 25 – The European Club Association (ECA) is winning the membership battle in the football clubs stakeholder space against the newly formed Union of European Clubs (UEC).
Currently holding a series of Board meetings in Madrid, the ECA has reported that it now has more than 610 members clubs, up from 266 clubs since the start of the 2023/24 season.
ECA said it has members from “every one of the 55 UEFA nations, including 100% membership in 15 of those countries”.
The ECA’s membership drive was accelerated with the launch of the UEC which at the end of last year received a membership boost after 34 clubs from England and Wales joined following a partnership with lobby group Fair Game in the UK.
The UEC said it wants to appeal to at least 1,000 clubs arguing that it is more democratic than the ECA.
The ECA has countered with its own ongoing internal governance reforms that it said “will include evolving the current membership structure of the ECA Family to a more comprehensive and inclusive model under the banner ‘Membership for All’.”
ECA chairman, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi said the growth in the ECA’s membership is a “fantastic moment in our rapid expansion and positive evolution”.
“This underlines that ECA is a dynamic, democratic, representative, and inclusive organisation – which gives a voice to the many not the few. The message is that we are here for all clubs, no matter their perceived size,” said Al-Khelaïfi.
“It also emphasises ECA’s position at the heart of European football. We drive revenues for clubs and give them a voice in all major decisions – most recently, the international match calendar, the format of competitions and the distribution of revenue. As an institution, ECA has never been more united and focused on the collective interests of all clubs – not only those who play in European competitions but clubs who are from Europe.”
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