The independent review of European football and other sports has been published by the UEFA with a series of recommendations and proposals that are aimed at maintaining the European game's well-being in the future.
Manchester Evenening News from today, report it on its frontpage
Main points of review (via Reuters)
- EU and UEFA to agree a formal structure, with UEFA being granted offical recognition as the governing body for European football.
- EU to set up a "European Sports Agency" to oversee all sports institutions and bodies within the 25-member bloc.
- New EU regulations for players' agents to provide better transparency. It should include harmonised standards for agents contracts and the introduction of an agents' licensing system.
- An independent European clearing house to be set up for player transfers.
- All clubs to have a certain number of "home-grown" players in their squads coupled with a squad size limitation. The number of home-grown players or a definition of home-grown was not in the report.
- A higher proportion of money from the Champions League to be put aside by UEFA for grassroots football.
- Setting up a European code of corporate governance for clubs.
- The need to ensure the independence of clubs and combat multi-ownership. - The introduction of salary caps to be administered by European and national sports governing bodies.
- Putting the player release rule for international matches on a firmer legal footing. This FIFA rule says clubs have to release their players for national team duty without entitlement to compensation.
- UEFA to intruduce a collective insurance package for players injured during the European Championship.
Report/links on UEFA website