On the sidelines of the Champions League final in London, theECA. This is the full statement: “The ECA Executive Committee (ExCo.) met today in London for the final meeting of the season ahead of the 2024 UEFA Champions League final to advance several key priorities for the clubs Europeans and received a report on Juventus FC’s request to rejoin the ECA. The meeting was also attended by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin and FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom. Opening the meeting, ECA President Nasser Al-Khelaifi, said: ‘I begin the meeting with very significant news: after having recently had several meetings with the management and ownership, I am pleased to report that Juventus has asked to rejoin the ECA, which will be formalized in short. The ECA’s door is always open to clubs that believe in collective interests, progressive reforms and working constructively with all stakeholders – we are delighted that Juventus is joining the European football family.’
In its regular update on ECA membership, the ExCo. was informed that the current number of member clubs has grown to 658 ECA members, up from 266 clubs at the start of this season, with 100% membership in 20 countries. The ExCo. An update was also presented on the ongoing governance reform proposals for ECA membership which will see a simplification of the ECA family membership structure towards a more inclusive model under the slogan “Membership for All”.
The ExCo. He was then updated on the main findings of the recent UEFA Executive Committee held in Dublin on 22 May and the FIFA Council and Congress held in Bangkok earlier this month. At UEFA Exco. of the most relevant issues related to the ECA were (i) the approval of various regulations including the organizational and disciplinary regulations on club licensing and financial sustainability, (ii) the update on youth competitions, (iii) the extension of the Standing Facilities Observer Program for the 2024/25 season and (iv) various events to host the finals of UEFA club competitions.
The most relevant updates for the ECA that emerged from the FIFA meetings were (i) the approval of the women’s international match calendar from 2026 to 2029, (ii) the approval of the FIFA Women’s Club World Cup every four years starting from 2026 (iii) changes to the Player Status and Transfer Regulations to further protect the welfare of players and coaches and (iv) Governance Reforms. The ExCo. was updated on the finalization of the sales process for the 2024-27 UEFA men’s club competitions and the progress made on the FIFA Club World Cup and joint venture. Finally, the ECA received a presentation from PwC, its consultancy partner who is conducting a review of the ECA’s strategy, organizational structure and governance for the long-term future.