23 Dec 2018
European football clubs urge UEFA to distribute money 'more evenly'
BY Tom Walker
European Leagues, the body representing European football clubs, has called on the continent's governing body to re-evaluate the way it dispenses prize money from its two premier competitions – the Champions League and the Europa League.
In a report seen by the Reuters news agency, the umbrella organisation said it is concerned the financial gap between Europe’s elite clubs and those which do not take part in the two European competitions is widening.
Each year, 80 teams qualify for the group stages of the Champions League and the Europa League – and receive cash rewards – but more than 600 top-tier clubs do not qualify to play.
European Leagues says it wants the "unlucky 600 to get a larger slice of the cake".
The news comes just weeks after European Leagues voiced its "strong opposition" to any plans to create of a European super league by the big European professional clubs.
"Domestic football is at the heart of the game throughout Europe for all football stakeholders: players, clubs, leagues, national associations and, more importantly, fans," the organisation said in a statement.
"Proposals for a closed Super League will have serious and lasting implications for the long term sustainability of professional football in Europe."
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