UEFA holds licensing workshop

UEFA held a workshop in Geneva to give its 53 member associations a look at how it works in developing its club licensing system.

The group will also exchange information on associations' club licensing experiences, especially through case law.

UEFA's club licensing plan, which has been in effect since the start of the 2004-05 season, is based on several standards that must be fulfilled in order for a club to be admitted to any of the UEFA competitions.

These minimum requirements cover the areas of sporting, infrastructure, personnel, administration, and legal and financial matters.

UEFA thinks that the clubs, the fans, the sponsors and the media benefit from this system, and it feels that a certain level of quality is achieved by the licensing plan.

The association feels that an important step for each side is to manage its finances properly and to spend only the money that it earns.

UEFA can decide not to admit clubs from playing in its competitions if the clubs do not meet the requirements of the licensing system.

Andrea Traverso, UEFA's club licensing manager, told the delegates that the division had been on the political agenda recently as a result of recommendations and references contained in the Independent European Sports Review.

"The club licensing system has been put forward as best practice on how pan-European projects should be structured and it is also helping football restore the confidence of its various stakeholders, Traverso said.

According to Traverso, UEFA remains committed to giving expert help regarding club licensing to its associations.

He also said the number of top-flight clubs in Europe that were undergoing the licensing process had risen from 584 in 2004-05 to 645 in 2006-07. This shows that an increasing number of associations are introducing a club licensing system for all top-division clubs.

In 2006-07, 532 top-flight clubs that went through the licensing process had received a licence, while 113 were refused. For the 2008-09 season, it is thought that 39 associations will have a licensing system for entering UEFA competitions, as well as one for domestic football.

As part of the workshop, Austria, Greece, Hungary, Republic of Ireland and Romania presented specific licensing cases from its own countries that served as an important source of information for other European countries.

The 53 delegations were represented by the licensing managers and chairmen of the first instance and appeals bodies and were glad to exchange experiences.

"Such platforms are very useful in that they allow participants to exchange their views on practical cases, and facilitate exchange and co-operation among member associations, which is key to enhancing standards within European football," said Roland Tis, licensing manager of the Belgian FA.

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.