In the past weeks, the press has been awash with reports of yet more changes to the format of Uefa club competitions, which will be decided upon this week. This is a clear indication that the clubs and officials in charge of deciding the future of European football are still unable to agree on a common position—let alone one that will benefit all stakeholders.
In contrast, the position of fans has been consistent from the beginning. We strongly oppose the post-2024 reform agenda for three main reasons:
- Calendar. Adding games to European competitions will increase the gap between and within leagues, strengthen the dominance of wealthy clubs, undermine the game’s commitment to environmental sustainability, and lead to more boring, no stakes football. Extra games will also put pressure on already packed domestic calendars, providing incentives to reduce the size of leagues and get rid of traditional cup competitions. Fans, meanwhile, will be asked to spend more time and money following their team—time and money which many simply do not have.
- Access List. Plans to allow clubs to qualify for Europe based on historic performance are fundamentally unfair and anti-competitive and go against the principles of sporting merit. They represent an obvious attempt to reward underperforming elite clubs at the expense of others and bring into question the ECA clubs’ rhetoric around the super league.
- Financial Solidarity. Tinkering with the format of competitions does nothing to address the structural issues facing European football. Doing so will require a radical overhaul of Uefa’s revenue distribution model so that money is shared more equally between participating and non-participating clubs.
In the end, your decision will shape the game for a generation, impacting every league, club, player, and fan in Europe. We therefore expect you to focus your attention on the serious matters at hand, not juvenile daydreams of extended half-time shows, week-long finals, and similar Superbowl knock-offs. Moreover, we demand that you listen to the millions of match-going fans across the continent by dropping these reforms and acting in the best interests of the whole European game. The time to do so is now.
#WinItOnThePitch
Our groups represent millions of European football fans, including national fans’ organisations and fans of clubs that sit on the ECA Board and UEFA Club Competitions Committee.
Signed by:
Club Groups
Supportersvereniging Ajax (AFC Ajax / Netherlands)
Mauves Army 2003 (RSC Anderlecht / Belgium)
Arsenal Supporters’ Trust / Arsenal Independent Supporters’ Association (Arsenal FC / England)
Asociación Señales de Humo / Unión Internacional de Peñas del Atlético de Madrid / EscudoAtleti (Atlético de Madrid / Spain)
Nordkurve12 Leverkusen (Bayer Leverkusen / Germany)
Südkurve München / Club Nr.12 (Bayern München / Germany)
Diabos Vermelhos 1982 (SL Benfica / Portugal)
Südtribüne Dortmund / BVB Fanabteilung (Borussia Dortmund / Germany)
F.C. København Fan Club (F.C. København / Denmark)
Ultras Monaco 1994 (AS Monaco / Monaco)
Bad Gones 1987 (Olympique Lyonnais / France)
Lyon 1950 (Olympique Lyonnais / France)
Collectif Ultras Paris (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Supportersvereniging PSV (PSV Eindhoven / Netherlands)
7c / Fedayn / Boys / Nel Nome di Roma / Roma / Romanismo / Royalist / Brigata De Falchi / Insurrezione (AS Roma / Italy)
Accionistas Unidos (Sevilla FC / Spain)
Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust (Tottenham Hotspur / England)
gäubschwarzsüchtig – GSS (BSC Young Boys / Switzerland)
National/European Organisations
Danske Fodboldfans (Denmark)
Football Supporters Association (England and Wales)
Association Nationale des Supporters (France)
BBAG e.V. (Germany)
Bündnis aktiver Fussball Fans (Germany)
F_in Netzwerk Frauen im Fussball (Germany)
Pro Fans (Germany)
Queer Football Fanclubs (Germany)
Unsere Kurve e.V. (Germany)
Supporterscollectief Nederland (Netherlands)
The Amalgamation of Northern Ireland Supporters Clubs (Northern Ireland)
Associação Portuguesa de Defesa do Adepto – APDA (Portugal)
Irish Football Supporters Partnership (Republic of Ireland)
Supporters Direct Scotland (Scotland)
Scottish Football Supporters Association (Scotland)
Aficiones Unidas (Spain)
FASFE – Accionistas y Socios del Fútbol Español (Spain)
Taraf-Der (Turkey)
Taraftar Hakları Derneği (Turkey)
Football Supporters Europe