Increased UEFA solidarity payments to leagues

UEFA is allocating nearly CHF59m (€40.1m) in UEFA Champions League solidarity payments to the top leagues of its member associations.

CHF2m increase
The total amount for the 2001/02 season is more than CHF2m higher than the amount paid out to the leagues the previous season from the revenue from European club football's most prestigious competition.

Total received
Leagues with participants in the Champions League group matches will receive a total of CHF47.2m, compared with CHF45.2m in 2000/01, while leagues without participants in the group stages will receive CHF11.6m (2000/01: CHF11m).

Various criteria
The UEFA Executive Committee has made the payments to the leagues conditional on various criteria. The payments are being made through each country's national association, which then transfers the full amount to its affiliated league. The league in turn must then distribute the amount to its clubs.

Youth programme
To receive the payments via their league, clubs must run their own youth training programme for all age categories from the age of 12 upwards, and must not have taken part in the Champions League from the first group stage onwards in the 2001/02 season.

League decisions
UEFA is also asking the competent league bodies to decide if payments should be made to all clubs which are members of the domestic league, such as first and second division clubs, or to top division clubs only.

Quality criteria
They must also take a decision on whether each of their clubs should receive the same amount, or whether the payments should be based on quality-related criteria. In addition, the leagues must decide whether rules should be issued in their country to ensure that the money is used for purposes suggested by UEFA.

UEFA Champions League, season 2001/02 solidarity payment