- Title: ECA satisfied after renewing Memorandum of Understanding with FIFA
- Date: 28th March 2023
- Summary: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (MARCH 28, 2023) (REUTERS) VARIOUS ECA MEMBERS WALKING INTO THE NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ECA CHAIRMAN, NASSER AL-KHELAIFI, SAYING: "There are more clubs participating. We're growing as humans also, so we cannot reduce the human people, so this environment is definitely important for us and we'll try as clubs also, working internally, how we protect the environment, definitely, with our partners, with our stakeholders. But in terms of expanding, because we have more clubs, you're talking about Europa Conference League as an example. That's a fantastic event. It's expanding yes, but this is for the small clubs, it's amazing. So, here sometimes I feel it's not fair sometimes talking about the environment. Yes we're doing and we care about it definitely, but also we have other people. They want to participate, they want to be part of the European competition, they want to be part of the Club World Cup, they want to be part of the big events and this is giving them the hope also. If not, go with the Super League if you suggest that, which would be a nightmare. So, for me, we need to expand and leave it open, so it's nothing against the environment. We're trying to protect the environment more than anyone else." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ECA CHAIRMAN, NASSER AL-KHELAIFI, SAYING: "It was really not easy discussion negotiation. Of course, FIFA want to protect themselves, we want to protect the club's interests. It was really not easy to reach but in the end, each one, each party understood the interests that if we come together, (it) benefits everybody." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ECA CHAIRMAN, NASSER AL-KHELAIFI, WHEN ASKED ABOUT MULTI-CLUB OWNERSHIP, SAYING: "I think this is an issue with UEFA. We never discuss, to be honest here at the ECA. No one brought it up today, so we didn't discuss it. So, I think UEFA should do the homework and then we can discuss with them but it's nothing been discussed in the ECA so far." CAMERAS FILMING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ECA CHAIRMAN, NASSER AL-KHELAIFI, WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE SUSPENSION OF RUSSIAN TEAMS, SAYING: "Our position is clear. We took a discussion before. So here we're not telling people what to do. I think they have the capacity to decide. There is a lot of development in different cases. We will see. We didn't discuss it also in our general assembly today, we (had already) took a decision. So for us, nothing changed." JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ECA CHAIRMAN, NASSER AL-KHELAIFI, WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE CLUB WORLD CUP, SAYING: "Regarding the access, we're going to have a committee to discuss with FIFA about it. They have their own idea, but we create a committee together with them to go through all the points that we discuss: solidarity, access, (inaudible), all the other stuff. So, there are more details. This happened in a very short time regarding the Club World Cup, so just to approve the numbers of clubs, and even the former there's still something that may need to change, we'll discuss it with them." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ECA CHAIRMAN, NASSER AL-KHELAIFI, WHEN ASKED ABOUT WHETHER THE FIFA MOU WILL BENEFIT REAL MADRID, BARCELONA, AND JUVENTUS, SAYING: "Listen, the MOU signed between the ECA and FIFA, so whoever will be in the ECA will benefit for sure, who will participate in the competition will benefit. So, I'm not a lawyer here, but I think this is how it is, but I think if they participate, of course, it will benefit them." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) ECA CHAIRMAN, NASSER AL-KHELAIFI, WHEN ASKED ABOUT WHETHER THE FIFA MOU WILL BENEFIT REAL MADRID, BARCELONA, AND JUVENTUS, SAYING: "If they're going to participate at the Club World Cup, for sure they will benefit. I mean they will participate if they are in the occupation and the ranking and they participate, for sure they will benefit, definitely. But if solidarity, I don't know, but we'll see, they play for sure -- Spanish, only trying to find tricky questions." NEWS CONFERENCE BEING SET UP (SOUNDBITE) (English) ECA VICE-CHAIRMAN, OLIVER KAHN, SAYING: "Yes it was a long process, but I think this is not unusual because they are very, very serious questions which should be answered. Yes, the MOU between FIFA now and the ECA is a very important instrument when it comes to the protection of clubs in critical areas like the match calendar, player insurance, like the club benefit programme. So, from my point of view, from our point of view, from the point of view of the clubs, it's a great outcome." AL-KHELAIFI SHAKING HANDS WITH ECA VICE-CHAIRMAN, DARIUSZ MIODUSKI
- Embargoed: 11th April 2023 15:39
- Keywords: ECA European Club Association FIFA General assembly Hungary Nasser Al-Khelaifi Oliver Kahn Soccer World soccer
- Location: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
- City: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
- Country: Hungary
- Topics: Europe,Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001094128032023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The European Club Association (ECA) is happy to have found common ground with FIFA, after renewing a Memorandum of Understanding with the global governing body.
The long-term agreement, which runs until the end of 2030, is designed to bring stability to the national team and club game, with both the ECA and FIFA collaborating on the likes of the calendar, the release of players to national teams, and the Club Benefits Programme.
"It was really not an easy discussion negotiation. Of course, FIFA want to protect themselves, we want to protect the club's interests. It was really not easy to reach but in the end... each party understood if we come together, (it) benefits everybody," said chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi on Tuesday (March 28), following the ECA's general assembly in Budapest.
"Yes it was a long process, but I think this is not unusual because they are very, very serious questions which should be answered," added vice-chairman Oliver Kahn.
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