UEFA rewards clubs for EURO 2008 involvement

Thanks to the Memorandum of Understanding put in place earlier this year between UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA), clubs that helped make the EURO 2008 event such a huge success can expect to be rewarded. Now that the final numbers have been calculated, UEFA is preparing to reward 180 clubs for their strong participation.

While it has not been revealed exactly how much will be granted to each club, a sum of EUR 43.5 million has been withheld for distribution. According to uefa.com, the process will continue through to future successful events, with a target distribution amount of EUR 55 million already planned for UEFA EURO 2012.

In a statement released on the website, UEFA President Michel Platini expressed his delight at the level of participation put forth for the event, calling it "a testament to the new harmony in European football." Werder Bremen was declared the top contender, offering a total amount of EUR 1,093,732, followed closely behind by Olympique Lyonnais and FC Bayern Munich.

UEFA calculated the respective amounts based on a "per player per day" method, beginning two weeks before a club's match until the day following elimination. In order to receive a share of the benefits, each club was required to submit a UEFA Club Application Form, whereby they agreed to support national competitions and follow player release regulations set by FIFA.