Soccer clubs group asks UEFA for 5% of European competition money to reward nurturing players

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Soccer clubs group asks UEFA for 5% of European competition money to reward nurturing players

2025-05-13 00:20 Last Updated At：00:30

GENEVA (AP) — A proposal to share hundreds of millions of euros in UEFA prize money among low-ranked soccer clubs that developed future star players was made by a European group representing them on Monday.

The Union of European Clubs wants to help close the growing wealth gap in soccer if UEFA would allocate at least 5% of broadcast and commercial revenue from the Champions League and other competitions to clubs that did not take part yet nurtured those players early in their careers.

Gross revenue this season for the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League is at least 4.4 billion euros ($4.88 billion) and 5% would be 220 million euros ($244 million).

Only clubs which did not advance to play in the league phase of the three competitions would be eligible for payments, the UEC said in a statement.

The idea is “a pragmatic, merit-based approach to restoring fairness and balance in the football ecosystem,” said the 140-member group, which estimated its idea could have earned at least 100,000 euros ($111,000) to each of 400 clubs across Europe in recent years.

The UEC said “the core principle is clear — clubs that invest in player development should be fairly rewarded when those players contribute to the success of European competitions.”

It is unclear why UEFA and the influential European Club Association — which has a key say over commercial and sporting decisions in the Champions League — would agree to a proposal from a non-recognized group effectively taking money from its members.

The ECA, led by Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser al-Khelaifi, has a working agreement with UEFA that recognizes the group “as the sole body representing the interests of European clubs at European and global level.”

The ECA, based near UEFA in Nyon, Switzerland, was approached for comment.

The UEC was formally launched in 2023 by officials who saw the ECA as too focused on representing a storied and wealthy group of elite clubs. Before al-Khelaifi, the ECA was led since 2008 by Bayern Munich's Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Juventus' Andrea Agnelli, who used the platform to launch the failed Super League project in 2021.

Current UEC members include Belgian league leader Union Saint-Gilloise, which is on track to play in the Champions League for the first time, and Burnley, which returns to the Premier League next season.

Its proposal, called the player development reward, was shared with European Union officials in Brussels, the UEC said in a statement.

EU institutions such as the European Commission and the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg are increasingly seen as the most effective way to force change in how soccer is run by international bodies like FIFA and UEFA.

The formula to calculate payments, the UEC said would be “based on the minutes played in UEFA competitions and prize money earned by players they have trained and developed.”

“This policy has the potential to deliver meaningful, long-term financial recognition and reward to clubs that fuel the professional game by developing its talent.”

This season, UEFA will pay about 2.5 billion euros ($2.78 billion) to the 36 teams playing in the Champions League, 565 million euros ($628 million) among the 36 Europa League teams and 285 million euros ($317 million) among 32 teams in the third-tier Conference League.

UEFA sends a further 308 million euros ($342 million) — 7% of gross competition revenue — as solidarity payments shared among hundreds of clubs across Europe who do not qualify for UEFA competitions.

UEFA acknowledged the proposal on Monday and said the “matter will be raised when the time is due.”

The current system of solidarity payments is set until 2027 when a new cycle of broadcasting and sponsorship deals begins.

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Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.