Borg urges more solidarity with small clubs

Proposed changes to the Uefa Cup with regards to centralised marketing and financial distribution models, were thoroughly discussed at the last Uefa Club Forum Board meeting held in Nyon earlier this month.

Birkirkara FC official John Borg, speaking on behalf of the vast majority of the small clubs competing in Uefa competitions, voiced his concern over the proposed changes regarding financial compensation. He claimed that these will be of no benefit to the clubs featuring in the early stages of the competition.

In the proposals forwarded by Uefa, the compensation of CHF80,000 (Lm21,500) has remained the same. Pointing out that the compensation for small clubs has remained unchanged for several years, Borg, who was elected to the Forum Board last September, argued that clubs with limited resources should not suffer financially for the perceived prestige of taking part in Uefa competitions.

"This should not be the case especially when taking into account that Uefa has worked hard together with the clubs to revamp the competition, making it more attractive and financially viable for marketing purposes," Borg was quoted as saying.

The Birkirkara secretary called on UEFA to consider amending the proposed future distribution model to allow for more solidarity with the clubs that do not always advance to the later stages of the competition.

One possibility under study is to allocate funds from the existing revenue normally enjoyed by the eight clubs entering the Uefa Cup after being knocked out of the Champions League group stages.

The implementation of such proposal would benefit many small clubs, including those from Malta, who rarely progress beyond the first round of the UEFA Cup.

The proposal made by Borg received the support of the European Club Forum Board members, representing prestigious clubs such as Bayern Munich, Milan and Ajax, and has now been forwarded to Uefa for further discussion.