Clubs delighted by move to ditch August friendlies
Your support helps us to tell the story
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
Louise Thomas
Editor
Europe's leading clubs praised a "major breakthrough" yesterday after agreeing with Uefa to drop the unpopular August international friendlies date.
The European Clubs Association chairman, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, in an address to the ECA's general assembly in Warsaw, revealed that the agreement had been reached after prolonged negotiations but warned that world body Fifa have yet to sanction it and the situation on that front remained unsatisfactory.
Further changes mean that the international calendar will be made up of nine double-headers over a two-year period with no single friendlies.
In a new Memorandum of Understanding between Uefa and the clubs, they also agreed the two matches of the double-date for friendlies should be played on the same continent.
In future the final tournaments of all confederations shall end by mid-July, and players would not be expected to play in more than one international tournament a year.
The ECA, comprising Europe's top 201 clubs, also reached agreement over insurance payments for players injured while on international duty starting at Euro 2012.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments