European football leagues are calling for a 'substantial, if not radical' reform of how Uefa distributes revenue from its club competitions, warning that the current system is entrenching the dominance of a small number of wealthy clubs and threatening the health of domestic leagues across the continent.
Under the existing model, 74 per cent of the revenue allocated to participating clubs – €2.437bn (£2.1bn) – goes to the 36 teams in the Champions League. In contrast, clubs not involved in European competitions receive just €308m (£265.8m), a mere seven per cent of the total pot.
Claudius Schafer, president of the European Leagues group, described the resulting 'polarisation' as an 'urgent situation' impacting domestic leagues. He stressed that Uefa has a 'statutory duty to address' this imbalance, warning that if left unchecked, the problem would become 'insurmountable' in some leagues – and 'probably already was insurmountable' in certain cases.
The Bulgarian First League, where Ludogorets has won 14 consecutive titles, illustrates the trend. The current model also includes a 'value pillar' that allocates 35 per cent of Champions League revenue based on historical performance and television market size, further entrenching the wealth of the biggest clubs.
European Leagues general secretary Alberto Colombo said tweaking the solidarity percentage would not suffice. 'We are asking that there is a substantial change, if not a radical change, in the way that the revenue distribution is applied to international competition, because this is the sole way to safeguard the ecosystem,' he said.
Discussions on revenue distribution for the 2027-2031 cycle are ongoing. Schafer reminded Uefa of its statutory obligation to promote solidarity, saying: 'When you read the statutes of Uefa, solidarity is one of the main objectives, to see that we have an ecosystem that is working for everybody and not only for a handful of clubs.'
