UEFA welcomes Council of Europe backing for European football model

In a resolution adopted today, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has given resolute backing to UEFA, as well as important input to priority topics for the positive future development of football.

In line with the EU Parliament and Council of the EU resolutions adopted at the end of 2021, the PACE Resolution "Football governance: business and values" led by Lord George Foulkes, member of the UK House of Lords and former chairman of Heart of Midlothian Football Club (2004–05), underlines the universal commitment from European public authorities to further protect and strengthen the solidarity and values-based model of European football.

Lord Foulkes and fellow PACE members, representing national parliaments and citizens from across the 47 member countries, addresses current threats to this model directly and unequivocally. The Resolution is particularly damning of the failed European super league breakaway attempt and warns against the potentially "disastrous" consequences of plans currently under consideration by FIFA to hold the World Cup every two years.

The Resolution calls on sports governing bodies and stakeholders, and contains recommendations to them across a range of priority issues, from good governance and the contribution of domestic leagues to pan-European solidarity mechanisms, human rights to gender equality, protection of minors and transfer market reforms, amongst others. UEFA welcomes the extensive input and will appropriately consider substantive details together with relevant stakeholders and experts.

The Resolution will be of support to the important discussions being held in the UEFA Convention on the Future of European Football consultation and reform process which brings together all major European football stakeholders and includes the EU and Council of Europe as formal observers.

Commenting on the Resolution, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said: "European institutions and European football – as well as the European sports movement – stand firmly united behind our values and solidarity-based model. There is no room for interpretation or negotiation. It's 'No' to selfish super leagues and 'No' to extravagant World Cup proposals. But 'Yes. Yes. Yes' to working together to protect and strengthen our model that works in the interest of European football and society."