1. D.Aquilina
From 21 to 23 September, representatives of UEFA’s member associations, the AFC,
CONCACAF and CONMEBOL gathered in Malta for the 14th UEFA Club Licensing wand
Financial Fair Play Workshop, which addressed a wealth of current licensing challenges
and financial trends.
POSITIVE TRENDS
IN CLUB FINANCES
F
inancial fair play is creating a positive
turnaround in European club football
finances, as demonstrated by the
encouraging figures revealed at the workshop
hosted by the Malta Football Association.
Some 160 licensing and financial experts
from across Europe and further afield heard
that the latest UEFA research confirmed the
turnaround in the finances of European club
football. A detailed review of over 700 clubs
indicated that combined club losses had
decreased for the fourth consecutive year,
and currently stood at just over €320m. This
means European losses now stand at just
19% of the level recorded before the
introduction of financial fair play in 2010.
Figures indicate that the number of
European countries reporting that their clubs
are in a net profit position has increased
steeply, from 15 in 2014 to 25 in 2015.
Other evidence demonstrating the strong
effect of financial fair play is the decline in
overdue payables from €57m in 2011 to just
over €5m as at 30 June 2016 (a decrease of
nearly 92%), and the reduction in disputed
and deferred payments to players (down
almost 72% and 37% respectively between
June 2014 and June 2016).
Financing football development
This year’s gathering also focussed on how
club licensing can support women’s and
youth football, as well as influence long-term
decision-making within club administration
and management.
Executive Committee member David
Gill, who chairs the UEFA Club Licensing
Committee, welcomed the future focus
on football development. “We should
not rest on our laurels,” he said, “but always
strive to improve the system and develop it
further, especially in areas such as women’s
and youth football, whereby I firmly believe
the system can contribute significantly to
their development.”
The workshop featured panel discussions
to gather feedback and support from UEFA’s
member associations on how to improve the
two development areas in the UEFA Club
Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations.
Delegates agreed that, in the space of
relatively few seasons, financial fair play had
succeeded in meeting all the objectives set
out in 2010, the legality of which have been
recognised several times by the Court of
Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne –
a result that would not have been achieved
without the constant hard work and support
of licensing managers and experts across
UEFA’s member associations.
FINANCIAL FAIR PLAY
36 – UEFA DIRECT • December 2016