Back in March of this year UEFA and the European Club Association signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding for 2012–18, the memorandum being signed by UEFA President Michel Platini and chairman of the ECA executive board Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. There were a few things on the agenda, with one being, pending FIFA's takeover of such a package on a worldwide level, the news that UEFA will establish an insurance system covering the injury risk of players while on national team duty, while another was a change to the international calendar, with the proviso being that it should basically be made up of nine double-headers over a two-year period with no single friendlies.
Platini commenting to the UEFA website at the time: “I am delighted that this memorandum of understanding is bringing together key stakeholders of the football family. UEFA, its national associations and the clubs have shown unity on several important matters which affect international football. This demonstrates the excellent working relationship we have with clubs and represents a true success in further strengthening the unity of the football family."
One other thing that was sorted out though was clubs now receiving a greater share from the European Championships as compensation for the absence of their players in qualifying and final tournament matches. That total standing at 100m euros for Poland/Ukraine, while it will go up another 50% for France in 2016 to €150m. With this summer’s tournament now a distant memory then UEFA two weeks ago released the split of the €100m euros, with 575 clubs benefitting, that way up from the 180 clubs that picked up money from the 2008 Austria/Switzerland tournament.
You might be wondering where all this matters as far as Carlisle United is concerned, but given that 40% of the pot went to clubs who released players for qualifying matches and the other 60% was given to clubs whose players participated in the final tournament, then it does matter to the Cumbrians due to the Slovakian involvement of Lubomir Michalik. Clubs receiving an equal share per player released for each qualifying match, and a fixed amount per player per day for the final tournament, weighted with the FIFA categorisation of clubs for training compensation.
In order to be eligible for a share of the benefits from EURO 2012 clubs were asked to send their application form to UEFA, in which they agreed in particular to support national team competitions and to comply with the FIFA regulations on the release of players, and doing that has seen Carlisle pick up €12,579 from the pot. A tidy sum for United then but well behind Manchester City who led the way in England as they netted €2,069,465 from the fund, the Citizens earning €400m more than their city rivals at Old Trafford.
Elsewhere in England Liverpool must actually have some players that are wanted at international level, and so they are second to City while Chelsea complete the top three. As far as the rest of Britain is concerned, Linfield are the only Northern Irish club to receive a share with just over €4,000 while in Wales Cardiff and Swansea picked up €130,000 and €293,000 respectively. Scotland finally seeing the Old Firm lead the way in compensation payments by a country mile, although your guess is as good as mine as to where the €339,623 Rangers were awarded will end up.
With Manchester City in fourth and Liverpool in last place in the European top six meanwhile the other clubs come as no great surprise. Bayern Munich leading the way on €3,095,393 ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona in second and third, and Juventus in fifth, the Bianconeri along with the top four being the only clubs to receive over €2m. As for tonight’s visitors Spurs, well they can go home tonight whatever the result safe in the knowledge that they already have €1,217,035 heading into their bank account, although that is still €477,435 less than their old mates Arsenal.
For a full list of who got what across Europe in the 53 member associations, including the news that Kazakhstani club FC Zhetysu Taldykorgan got €75,472, while over in Ukraine FC Polihraftek Olexandriya picked up just €12,579 then simply click on the following link:
EURO 2012 Document : Click here