Clubs continue compensation fight

Europe’s top clubs are set to take their fight for compensation for the wages of players on international duty to the European Commission.

The 18 elite clubs who make up the G14 grouping – including Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United – want FIFA and UEFA to give them part of the revenues from international tournaments such as the World Cup and European Championships.

G14 are currently waiting for the outcome of a complaint to the Swiss office of fair trading and general manager Thomas Kurth revealed today that an official challenge to FIFA’s regulations could be made to the EC next spring.

Kurth, speaking at the European Football Finance Forum in London, said: “We are waiting for the procedure in Switzerland to come to an end, and a complaint to the European Commission could be envisaged next spring.

“The complaint would also be about FIFA’s rules on the release of players but of course it would have a bigger impact in the EC.

“We would want them to decide whether the FIFA rules comply with competition law or not – we do not believe they do.”

Kurth denied the big clubs – Real Madrid and AC Milan are among the other members – are being greedy but admitted the money they want diverted to them would have to come from the funds FIFA distribute to grass-roots projects across the globe.

He hinted the clubs were not convinced the FIFA money was being used correctly.

Kurth said: “It would have to come from the amount that FIFA administers themselves. You need to look into what the money is used for and maybe we would come to another conclusion.

“These are huge revenues from the major tournaments and we believe there must be a share that comes back to the clubs.

“It’s not about the richest clubs being greedy, it’s the clubs who make the biggest efforts to have a spectacular game and who do not spare any effort to get there.”

G14 claim it is unfair for clubs to continue to pay players all their wages while they may be absent for more than a month on international duty in major tournaments.

However, FIFA and UEFA refuse to talk to G14, claiming they are not an officially recognised body.

Kurth insisted that did not pose a problem, adding: “It doesn’t create a problem because they still speak to the clubs in other forums and it does not stop us expressing ourselves as a group.

“We don’t need to be recognised officially in order to make our points.”