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European Union hears from football leaders
FIFA & UEFA - 03 May, 2006
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The CEO of UEFA Lars-Christer Olsson, told European Union lawmakers that football is losing its identity because wealthy clubs are signing players for their commercial value instead of talent.
“Too many big clubs are just going out and buying the best players and leaving them on the bench and so depriving the fans of seeing them, and also depriving other clubs at which they could play from having them,” he said.
“We have surveyed the fans and 66 percent of them say that they feel the game has lost its identity because not enough clubs are using local players.”
The 3 May public hearing in Brussels is the first time football league leaders have sat side by side in public with the G14, representing 18 of the world's most powerful clubs.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has refused to negotiate with the G14 and threatened to go to ‘war’ with them.
Olsson also took shots at big clubs for raiding players only for commercial appeal.
“An example of just how bad the problem is, is what we call the ‘Asian factor’ where a club buys a player from Asia purely to gain commercial links, paying him big wages and leaving him on the sidelines,” UEFA CEO Lars-Christer Olsson said.
The “home-grown player rule” was the first item on the agenda. Agreed upon last year at UEFA’s Congress, UEFA has set a minimum for locally-trained players, which would rise on a sliding scale starting with the 2006-07 season, when UEFA clubs must have four players who meet the criteria, defined as players who have been registered for three seasons or years with the club between the ages of 15 and 21.
One question remains as to whether the rule is in breach of EU competition law.
“We don't say whether the rule is right or wrong, but whether it is legal,” G14 general manager Thomas Kurth said at the hearing. “The rule could clearly be construed as a breach of EU treaties on non-discrimination and free movement and creates potential legal and financial challenges for clubs.”
The EU hearing kicks off a big month for the game throughout Europe. Jose Luis Arnaut, who is leading a review on how the game is run across the European Union, is scheduled to deliver his final report within a week.
On May 15, a Belgian court will rule in a case lodged against FIFA by Belgian first division club Charleroi, who are backed by G14. Charleroi are seeking compensation after one of their players was injured on international duty.
“Too many big clubs are just going out and buying the best players and leaving them on the bench and so depriving the fans of seeing them, and also depriving other clubs at which they could play from having them,” he said.
“We have surveyed the fans and 66 percent of them say that they feel the game has lost its identity because not enough clubs are using local players.”
The 3 May public hearing in Brussels is the first time football league leaders have sat side by side in public with the G14, representing 18 of the world's most powerful clubs.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has refused to negotiate with the G14 and threatened to go to ‘war’ with them.
Olsson also took shots at big clubs for raiding players only for commercial appeal.
“An example of just how bad the problem is, is what we call the ‘Asian factor’ where a club buys a player from Asia purely to gain commercial links, paying him big wages and leaving him on the sidelines,” UEFA CEO Lars-Christer Olsson said.
The “home-grown player rule” was the first item on the agenda. Agreed upon last year at UEFA’s Congress, UEFA has set a minimum for locally-trained players, which would rise on a sliding scale starting with the 2006-07 season, when UEFA clubs must have four players who meet the criteria, defined as players who have been registered for three seasons or years with the club between the ages of 15 and 21.
One question remains as to whether the rule is in breach of EU competition law.
“We don't say whether the rule is right or wrong, but whether it is legal,” G14 general manager Thomas Kurth said at the hearing. “The rule could clearly be construed as a breach of EU treaties on non-discrimination and free movement and creates potential legal and financial challenges for clubs.”
The EU hearing kicks off a big month for the game throughout Europe. Jose Luis Arnaut, who is leading a review on how the game is run across the European Union, is scheduled to deliver his final report within a week.
On May 15, a Belgian court will rule in a case lodged against FIFA by Belgian first division club Charleroi, who are backed by G14. Charleroi are seeking compensation after one of their players was injured on international duty.
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