ECA forces Uefa to delay vote on major Champions League changes

The European Clubs Association, the body that represents the continent’s biggest football teams, has pulled the rug from under Uefa by demanding reforms to the Champions League go hand-in-hand with new rules over who controls the competition.

After Uefa postponed a vote due on Wednesday that would have ratified the plans, the ECA said it was not yet “in a position to formally endorse key changes” until talks over governance of the competition had taken place.

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“The executive board believes that if European football is to meet the challenges it currently faces, the foundations for ECA and Uefa’s future relationship also need to be given due consideration at the same time,” the ECA said in a statement.

The sticking point is over the contents of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Uefa and the ECA which defines how the two groups will work together for the apparent benefit of the game. The MOU currently guarantees Uefa a veto on any proposed change in television rights deals or the distribution of prize money derived from the Champions League, among other governance issues.

Like the format of the competition, the MOU is up for renewal in 2024, but the ECA is now asking that discussions over key contents be brought substantially forward. Uefa had proposed that the postponed vote over Champions League reform now takes place on 19 April.

The move will be seen by many in the game, particularly the smaller clubs and competitions within Europe, as being a move by the biggest and richest to take more money and influence at a moment of maximum uncertainty. The proposed format changes had already proven highly contentious, even with the English Premier League, as they included 100 new fixtures, four new midweek rounds of matches and qualification via historical European performance rather than league position.

The ECA said it was “fully committed to working with Uefa over the coming weeks on all topics and remains confident of reaching successful outcomes, which will be crucial in ensuring European club football’s rebuild and long term sustainability”.