UEFA caps funding for five top soccer federations

England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France are self-sufficient already, says Euro soccer body.

GENEVA:

European soccer's governing body UEFA said on Tuesday it would increase the funds allocated to clubs not taking part in men's continental competitions, also capping the amount going to the top five federations.

"Last year, the UEFA Executive Committee approved a significant increase in the distribution of solidarity for clubs not participating in UEFA's men's club competitions for the 2024-27 cycle, which will see the share allocated to non-participating clubs rise from 4% to 7% of the projected revenue threshold of €4.4bn. This translates to €308mn - an increase of nearly 80% compared to the previous cycle," UEFA said in a statement after its Executive Committee in Prague.

"A cap to the distribution to the top five federations (England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France) has been confirmed, as they will receive €10m each," UEFA added. "The funds available to the remaining 50 associations will therefore increase from the current €135m to a total of €258m. 70% of these amounts will be distributed based on their position in the UEFA access list, while 30% will be proportional to the amounts received by the top earning club of each association, an innovative concept expressly targeting competitive balance in domestic leagues." The decision was welcomed by the European Clubs Associations (ECA).

"ECA has worked for many months with UEFA, in consultation with European Leagues, to drive a significant increase in solidarity for non-participating clubs - together with a more equitable distribution system for participating clubs - for the new 2024-27 cycle, benefiting clubs of all sizes across the football pyramid," ECA chairman and Paris St Germain president Nasser el-Khelaifi said in a statement.

A new strategy for women's football "for the period 2024-30" was also approved by the Executive Committee, UEFA said, adding that details would be published "in the coming weeks".

It was also decided by UEFA that 2027 men's Champions League final will not be played in Milan amid uncertainties over the future of the San Siro stadium, European football's governing body UEFA said on Tuesday.

"As the Municipality of Milano could not guarantee that the San Siro stadium and its surroundings would not be affected by refurbishment works in the period of the 2027 UEFA Champions League final, it was decided not to assign the final to Milan," UEFA said in a statement. UEFA added it was reopening "the bidding process to appoint a suitable venue, with a decision expected in May/June 2025".

The 2026 final will be held in Budapest.

Budapest and Milan were the only candidates for the 2026 and 2027 finals.