Source:REUTERS/Peter Cziborra
[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, the European Leagues has proposed a reform of UEFA’s prize money distribution model, aiming to reduce the income gap in domestic leagues. European Leagues is the umbrella organisation representing 35 national professional leagues, including the Bundesliga, EFL Championship, La Liga, Premier League and Serie A. It also has five associate members, including the League of Ireland and the Welsh Premier League. At the European Leagues General Assembly held in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, the organisation proposed abolishing the “value pillar” funding given to big clubs solely for their size, and sharing the “starting fees” received by clubs participating in UEFA competitions with other domestic clubs. This would eliminate the current solidarity payments UEFA makes to non-participating clubs and significantly reduce the income gaps that cause imbalances in domestic leagues.
The editor believes that as the media rights sales process for UEFA club competitions from 2027 onwards gets underway, it is time to rethink how the wealth generated by the Champions League and other European tournaments is distributed. Should polarisation and predictability be allowed to destroy the magic cherished by those who love football? Or is there a common-sense way to allocate this revenue to strengthen clubs, leagues, UEFA competitions and the entire football pyramid?