FCBARCELONA.CAT

17.10.2007 19:18

G-14 goes from strength to strength

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The 18 members of G-14 have agreed to create a broader association of clubs. The statutes of this new grouping will be approved in Brussels in November.

The G-14 general assembly, which was held this Wednesday in the Camp Nou, has approved a proposal to create a new association of clubs. In the middle of November, a conference will be held in Brussels to announce the statutes of this new association. Entry to this new body will be on sporting criteria exclusively. In order to achieve wide representation, this association will be made up of some 40 clubs from 23 different European countries.

Invitations to take part in this new project will be sent out in the next few weeks. A conference will then be held in Brussels in the middle of November and the association is expected to be finally set up in the middle of December.

New Champions League format

A detailed study has been carried out of the sporting and economic repercussions of the proposed new format for the Champions League put forward by UEFA president, Michel Platini. G-14 will now request more time to present a counter-proposal. The priority of the G-14 is to preserve the sporting quality of the competition.

Two working groups

As club representative on the newly created FIFA Strategic Committee, Joan Laporta informed the G-14 representatives of the matters discussed at the first meeting. G14 is very encouraged by the creation of two working groups: one to coordinate and optimise the international calendar and the other to debate and agree on a system of financial compensation for players released by the clubs for international matches. The results and conclusions of the two working groups will be followed with great interest.