BELGIUM: SOCCER/FOOTBALL - G14, "The Voice of the Clubs", meets to disband itself having reached agreement with FIFA and UEFA

Record ID: 561967

  • Title: BELGIUM: SOCCER/FOOTBALL - G14, "The Voice of the Clubs", meets to disband itself having reached agreement with FIFA and UEFA
  • Date: 16th February 2008
  • Summary: EXTERIOR OF CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL
  • Embargoed: 2nd March 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVABYOV8BTGT9K9X5557C6U6AEWR
  • Story Text: The general assembly of the controversial G14 group of football clubs held a meeting on Friday (February 15) and decided to disband and to stop an impending court case involving FIFA and UEFA.
    The move came after negotiations last month agreeing a deal with football's governing body to end a longstanding row over player compensation.
    "The requests formulated by the G-14 have been resolved by UEFA and FIFA and in the agreement itself there was a specific request by the UEFA and FIFA to dissolve the G-14 so that clubs that join new organisations should dissolve the previous one," G14 president Jean-Michel Aulas said on Friday.
    FIFA announced in January that it had signed a letter of intent with European body UEFA and representatives from 12 top teams to dissolve the G14 and withdraw claims that are currently working their ways through courts.
    FIFA and UEFA will in return make financial payments for players while they participate in European Championships and World Cup competition. The clubs will get a share of the revenue generated by their players while on international duty.
    The European football body UEFA said its European Club Forum would be replaced by a new independent "European Club Association."
    This new association is scheduled to count more than 100 European clubs, including representatives from all of UEFA's 53 national associations, as its members.
    ''It's true, we went through a positive and constructive period to think about the future and the management of clubs. It's always a bit sad to leave an organisation that functioned well but that's life," Aulas said.
    "Clubs made that commitment, ending an adventure, the G-14, and starting a new one with the C.A. and the permanent International Commission of clubs within FIFA,'' Aulas added, referring to the European Club Association.
    G14, which represented 18 of Europe's top teams, had been backing Belgian club Charleroi against FIFA in a court case centred on compensation for clubs whose players are injured on international duty.
    Charleroi lost Abdelmajid Oulmers in November 2004 for eight months after he was injured playing for Morocco and still had to pay his salary although he could not turn out for the club.
    Similar cases had been brought by Olympique Lyon in France and Atletico Madrid in Spain.
    G14 represented the interests of some of the biggest clubs in Europe including Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Juventus, Lyon, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Ajax.
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