European Football Clubs
 | |
| Predecessor | G-14 and European Club Forum |
|---|---|
| Formation | January 2008 |
| Type | Sports organization |
| Headquarters |  Nyon, Switzerland |
| Members | over 800 clubs |
 Nasser Al-Khelaifi | |
| Affiliations | UEFA |
| Website | efcfootball.com |
European Football Clubs (EFC), formerly known as the European Club Association (ECA), is an organisation that is officially recognised by both UEFA and FIFA as the sole, independent body for association football clubs within Europe.
History
[edit]Formed on the merge of the G-14 group with the European Club Forum, a task force created by UEFA in 2002 to bring together 102 member clubs in January 2008.[1] Karl-Heinz Rummenigge served as acting chairman until he was officially elected chairman when the ECA's 103 members met for the first time on 7–8 July 2008 at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was the acting chairman[2] before officially being elected chairman of the ECA when its 103 members met for the first time on the 7–8 July 2008 at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. In addition to replacing the G-14, which was dissolved in favour of the ECA on 15 February 2008, the new ECA also replaces UEFA's European Club Forum (of which Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was also chairman).[2]
The European Club Forum utilised a similar membership selection process as the European Club Association, with 102 members picked every two years. In April 2021 following the announcement of the European Super League, several of the clubs involved resigned from the ECA. The ECA had criticised the formation of the new league. On 7 May 2021, UEFA approved reintegration measures for nine clubs involved in that breakaway competition.[3]
As of March 2023, there were 512 ECA members including 135 ordinary, 169 associated in addition to 208 network clubs and 40 women's clubs. On 1 June 2024, it was reported that Juventus would rejoin the ECA starting from July, following their withdrawal as part of the Super League project in 2021.[4]
On 7 October 2025, the European Club Association (ECA) rebranded as European Football Clubs (EFC), representing over 800 member clubs across 55 nations, including 139 women's clubs.[5]
On 13 February 2026, Barcelona were reinstated as an Ordinary Member after withdrawing from the Super League project.[6]
Structure
[edit]List of chairmen
[edit]| President | Term |
|---|---|
 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge |
2008–2017 |
 Andrea Agnelli |
2017–2021 |
| Nasser Al-Khelaifi |
2021–present |
Working Groups
[edit]The Working Groups are an important cornerstone of EFC's organisational structure as they provide active advice and support not only to the Executive Board, but also to EFC representatives participating in UEFA, FIFA and EU committees and working groups. Their contribution is key and strategic to the association. All working groups are made up of both Ordinary Member and Associated Member Clubs from all four subdivisions. Alongside EFC Working Groups, dedicated Task Forces give assistance on specific matters, which require urgent decision-making.
Executive Committee
[edit]| Member | Position | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Nasser Al-Khelaïfi |
Chairman | President of Paris Saint-Germain F.C. |
| Jan-Christian Dreesen |
Vice-Chair | CEO of FC Bayern Munich |
 Bart Verhaeghe |
Vice-Chair | Chairman of Club Brugge KV |
 Dariusz Mioduski |
Vice-Chair | Owner & President of Legia Warsaw |
 Aki Riihilahti |
Vice-Chair | CEO of HJK Helsinki |
 Martina Pavlová |
Vice-Chair | International Relations Manager of AC Sparta Prague |
 Miguel Ángel Gil Marín |
Board Member | CEO of Atlético Madrid |
 Dan Friedkin |
Board Member | Owner & Chairman of AS Roma |
 Dennis te Kloese |
Board Member | CEO of Feyenoord |
| Ferran Soriano |
Board Member | CEO of City Football Group |
 Peter Lawwell |
Independent Board Member |
- Source:[7]
Achievements
[edit]Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by UEFA in 2008, the European Club Association was recognized as the sole body representing the interests of clubs at European level. As part of the Memorandum of Understanding, UEFA also agreed to distribute every four years an amount from the UEFA European Championship to national associations for them to pass on to their clubs who have contributed to the successful staging of a European Championship.
2012
[edit]A renewed Memorandum of Understanding for the period 2012–2018 was signed on 22 March 2012 between ECA and UEFA at the occasion of the XXXVI Ordinary UEFA Congress. The memorandum was signed by ECA Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and UEFA President Michel Platini.[8]
2023
[edit]The most updated Memorandum of Understanding between FIFA and ECA happened at the 29th ECA General Assembly in Budapest, Hungary. It hoped to encourage close collaboration between ECA and FIFA with an extension fulfilled until December 2030. UEFA also signed an agreement that extends their cooperation until 2030.
2024
[edit]The most recent Memorandum of Understanding between UEFA and ECA was announced in October during ECA’s 31st General Assembly in Athens, building their long-standing partnership out until 2033. The renewal of the long-term agreement underlines the strengthened relationship between the two organisations who have collaborated on critical issues on European club football in recent years ranging from new competition and revenue distribution structures to Financial Sustainability Regulations
International Match Calendar
[edit]The International Match Calendar, a key topic of discussions, makes the release of national team players compulsory for clubs on the dates it highlights. The 2014–18 International Match Calendar is based on a concrete proposal put forward by ECA, and the efforts of a dedicated working group comprising representatives from ECA, European Leagues, FIFPro, and UEFA. The working group's recommendation, acknowledged by FIFA, offers a more balanced system of nine double-headers over two years with no single friendly matches and is beneficial for both clubs and national associations.[8]
Insurance for players' salaries
[edit]The Club Protection Program, initially put in place at the expense of UEFA to cover the Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine, has since been taken over at FIFA's expense following the approval by the FIFA Congress in Budapest in May 2012.[9] It now covers all clubs that release players for national A-team matches listed on the International Match Calendar, including a FIFA commitment to insure the football tournament of the Olympic Games.[8] The Club Protection Program provides compensation for clubs in the event that national A-team players participating for their national association suffer a temporary total disablement (TTD) as a result of bodily injuries caused by an accident. Players are insured up to a maximum of one year from the day of the excess period (= date of injury + 27 days) and a maximum of €7.5 million.[10]
Distribution for EURO Benefits
[edit]As stipulated in the 2008 MoU between ECA and UEFA, the UEFA Executive Committee agreed to set aside provisions of €43.5 million for Euro 2008 in Switzerland and Austria, and €55 million for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.[11] With the renewal of the MoU, the benefits for clubs releasing players for the Euro 2012 increased to €100 million and were set to increase again to €150 million for Euro 2016.[8] In view of the increased amounts of benefits received by clubs, UEFA and ECA elaborated a new distribution mechanism. The main objective of this distribution mechanism is to have a fair and balanced system, ensure increased benefit for all clubs compared to previous tournaments, and guarantee more clubs are entitled to receive a share of the benefits. For the Euro 2012, the total amount of €100 million was split between the final tournament (60%) and the qualifying phase (40%). This new distribution mechanism led to 578 clubs receiving varying amounts of compensation from UEFA for their part in releasing players for qualifying matches and the final tournament, a significant increase from the 181 clubs who received a share after the UEFA EURO 2008.[8]
Governance
[edit]The new MoU granted a greater influence for clubs in the decision-making processes at UEFA. In the future, clubs are guaranteed to have their voices heard and that no decision directly affecting club football will be taken without their prior consent. EFC representatives from the executive board are appointed in both the UEFA Executive Committee, UEFA Club Competitions Committee, UEFA Professional Football Strategy Council and the UEFA Women's Football Committee.[8]
Educational programmes and initiatives
[edit]- Academy Management Programme (AMP)
- Club Management Programme (CMP)[12]
- Club Talent & Mentoring Programme (CTMP)
- Knowledge-sharing workshops
- ECA Campus Alumni Association
Publications
[edit]Community & Social Responsibility Report
[edit]In September 2011, the European Club Association published its first Community & Social Responsibility (CSR) Report. The aim of this publication was to present the work of European football clubs in the field of CSR. The report is a collection of 54 ECA Member clubs’ CSR projects. [citation needed]
EFC Report on Youth Academies in Europe
[edit]In September 2012, ECA published a Report on Youth Academies in Europe,[13] which acts as a benchmark and provides a comparable perspective that underlines different approaches and philosophies of youth academies across Europe.
ECA Study on the Transfer System in Europe
[edit]In March 2014, ECA published a study on the transfer system, which offers an in-depth overview of all the incoming and outgoing transfer transactions involving European clubs over a two-year period. The ECA Executive Board mandated PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and LIUC University to carry out this work. [citation needed]
ECA Women's Club Football Analysis
[edit]In 2014, ECA published an analysis on Women's Football. This report of the ECA analyses women's football from a club perspective. Topics such as women's club structure, relations with stakeholders as well as key success and constraint factors in the women's game were addressed. [citation needed]
ECA Club Management Guide
[edit]Published in 2015, this publication is a unique mixture of practical and conceptual football club management, focusing on club core activities, environment and strategies. The ECA Club Management Guide is a collation of club representatives’ practical experiences in managing a football club. An extract is available in 9 languages. [citation needed]
Founding members
[edit]The following 16 clubs founded the ECA in 2008. Clubs currently being an Ordinary Member Club are marked in italics:[12]
Current EFC members
[edit]Source:[14]
See also
[edit]- European Multisport Club Association
- European Leagues
- Proposals for a European Super League in association football – A project for a sole pan-European Football League in which the European Club Association has been involved
References
[edit]- ↑ "The European Club Forum gives way to the European Club Association" (PDF). UEFA direct. No. 71. Nyon: Union des Associations Européennes de Football. February 2008. pp. 8–9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 January 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
- 1 2 "Agreement heralds new era in football | Inside UEFA". UEFA. 21 January 2008. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
- ↑ "UEFA approves reintegration measures for nine clubs involved in the so-called 'Super League'". UEFA. 7 May 2021.
- ↑ "Juventus to rejoin European Club Association". Reuters. 1 June 2024.
- ↑ "European soccer clubs group unveils new name at peak of its powers dealing with UEFA, FIFA". AP News. 8 October 2025.
- ↑ "FC Barcelona announcement". www.fcbarcelona.com. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
- ↑ "Executive Committee". European Football Clubs.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 ECA Memorandum of Understanding 2012 Archived 2014-07-13 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ FIFA.com (25 May 2012). "FIFA Congress fully backs reform process, appoints first woman to Executive; welcomes South Sudan as 209th FIFA member". Archived from the original on 27 May 2012.
- ↑ "UEFA and ECA Memorandum of Understanding 2012" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2013.
- ↑ "Memorandum of Understanding 2008" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- 1 2 "ECA Members". European Club Association. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
- ↑ "European Club Association publishes Report on Youth Academies". Archived from the original on 25 September 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
- ↑ "Our Members". EFC Football.
External links
[edit]
Founding members of the European Club Association | |
|---|---|
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |