The Independent is reporting today that Newcastle United will take their place at the top of European football tomorrow, as the new European Club Association (ECA) conducts their first general assembly in Switzerland.
Newcastle United are England’s 5th representatives on ECA - with the top 4
The meeting will last a couple of days and the organization has been created to represent football clubs in Europe and has replaced the G14 forum, which initially included Europe’s top 14 clubs. Newcastle was not included in G14.
Under the UEFA ranking system, England are entitled to send five clubs, and Newcastle United have been selected for the 5th spot behind the big four of Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.
We’re not sure why Newcastle were chosen, but it may be because we’ve had more European games than any other club in England, other than the top 4 teams - over the last 10 years or so.
Scotland have three places allocated and Hearts will join Celtic and Rangers in representing the Scottish League.
There are a total of 103 clubs represented in the association, which will represent all of UEFA’ 53 football associations, and each association will have at least one representative.
Michel Platini, who is the EUFA President, had the G14 set of clubs disbanded, and replaced it with this ECA (European Clubs Association). Karl-Heinz Rummenigge from Beyern Munich, is the chairman-designate, and he will be confirmed when the body convenes for the first time tomorrow and Tuesday.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, of Bayern Munich, says the organisation does not support FIFA’s “six plus five” proposal.
That’s a scheme by which teams can field a maximum of five foreigners, but the ECA are backing UEFA’s version, in which clubs must include eight “home-grown” players in their squad for European competitions next season.
This is exactly what Newcastle will be doing in the future, developing their own players from a young age, just like Arsenal have done so successfully over the last 10 years or so.
Chelsea, Manchester United and Rangers from Britain were among the 16 founding members of the association, which was created in January.
Chelsea’s chief executive Peter Kenyon has been on the transitional board since that time, and the 15-strong executive board will be elected tomorrow, and will have at least on English representative on it.
The ECA has already won important some important concessions for European clubs in the continuing conflict with the demands made by international football.
- International matches will eventually be switched from Wednesday to Tuesday, which will allow players to return to their club teams earlier, and be ready for the following weekend game.
- International players based in Europe will not have to take part in more than one friendly game for their country, when those games are played on other continents.
- The ECA has forced UEFA to pay clubs whose players appear in a European Championship or World Cup.
The first two will, at least, have an impact on our African four at Newcastle, Mark Viduka and new boy - Argentine International, Jonas Gutierrez.
Arsène Wenger of Arsenal, as one example, has been concerned for a long time about players from South America or Africa being forced to make long journeys for friendlies and returning too late to prepare properly for the next domestic game.
Newcastle had lots of concerns a few seasons ago with Nobby Solano on that score, which never pleased Bobby Robson, who was then manager of the club.
The African Nations Cup, which takes place in January every two years, and upsets many leading clubs, including a number from the English Premier League, like Newcastle, will now start 2 weeks earlier in 2010.
That will help European clubs who have a mid-winter break, but of course that will not help English clubs at all.
The clubs will be paid at the rate of around €4K (£3.2K) per player per day, and that amounts to a grand total of around £34.4M which UEFA will give over to clubs, who had players participating in the recent Euro 2008.
Liverpool, as an example, with four players in the winning Spain squad for a month, should receive almost £400K.
The concern UEFA had with G14, was at some stage the clubs in the G14 would break away on their own and form an elite European League, if they did not get a change of format for the Champions’ League, in addition to UEFA payments to clubs, for their international players.
Newcastle may not be the 5th best team in the Premier League right now, we’ll have to wait until next May for that. Â 
But they are already among the elite 5 clubs who will now represent England’s club’s interests in Europe.
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26 responses so far ↓
1 Ever seen a mackem in Milan? // Jul 6, 2008 at 8:03
Well i dont know why we are either but Everton and Spurs fans wont be happy
We are a big club in terms of what we have done in the past just need some success now. I posted this off the BBC gossip column on the Barton one so here it is again.
A wealthy construction company run by the family of terrorist Osama bin Laden has emerged as a front-runner to buy Newcastle United. (Mail on Sunday)
Interesting.
2 Toon_Ksk // Jul 6, 2008 at 8:33
No, we don’t deserve this. We are “not a big club and we are a set of deluded fans”. This is so undeserving. “Genuine big clubs” like Spurs, Portsmouth and Everton should be there not us.
3 Ever seen a mackem in Milan? // Jul 6, 2008 at 8:41
Toon_Ksk dont complain its a good thing
4 Ben_BKK // Jul 6, 2008 at 8:45
I detect some sarcasm in Toon_ksk’s post
5 lee // Jul 6, 2008 at 9:20
one day we might be a big club though…. just need the players to believe. they get payed enough
6 najikhin // Jul 6, 2008 at 9:59
i sense truth in that sarcasm..
7 Davies // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:17
I don’t care about the size of the club right now, we have exciting times ahead. As a club, we have featured in the top four five times in the last fifteen years. Outside the usual top four, I don’t think any other clubs have. I may be wrong of course, I didn’t research that. If anyone can back me up, I’d be happy for them to do so.
8 fernando // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:25
i dont understand what you mean when you say newcastle are a big club for what they have done in the past. what exactly. even portsmouth have won more in recent times. do you still regard leeds a big clubbecause it wasnt to long ago they were in the champions league.
9 Punk Skunk // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:45
Winning has ball all to do with size fernando, you pleb!..Der!..
…It’s obvious why we’re there, we’re BIG!..
…Regardless of who thinks what & why, uefa bases it’s criteria on something, ask them!..
…Sheesh!..even s*land (pardon me!) are bigger than spuds, pomp & the like!..
10 Punk Skunk // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:54
Of course leeds are a big club, if barnsley had won the fa cup this year, would that have made them a big club…It’s got NOTHING TO DO WITH WINNING A CUP!..fernando, you & your like don’t get to choose!..Deal with it!..
11 Leo // Jul 6, 2008 at 11:10
i had something very whitty to say but reading the posts i have forgotten it!!! arghhh
must have been something along the lines of obviously tottensham and evershit are not as big as us haha
12 Punk Skunk // Jul 6, 2008 at 11:12
LOL!..
13 Taiwantoon // Jul 6, 2008 at 11:23
We’ve so far spend like a top five in Championship. I do expect it to change tho.
14 carl // Jul 6, 2008 at 11:28
oh yeah great, now the press are linking us with the bloody bin laden family!! they probably see an opertunity to grow opium on newcastle moor then ship it straight over to blyth
15 john // Jul 6, 2008 at 12:14
Good news for morn Punk Skunk. Could be the Holy Trinity for you soon. Bin Laden(owner)Northern Rock(sponsor) and Barton(player). Now you could really boast and put down decnet fans of other clubs. Proud to be a Geordie?
16 DanOx // Jul 6, 2008 at 12:28
I’ll bet it’s based on the coefficient system used to seed teams in europe.. which takes the last 5 years european action into account.
We are 14th on that list and 5th from england.
Although.. on second thoughts … maybe not cos i just read that man city were in the club as well… hmm confusing!
17 fernando // Jul 6, 2008 at 15:17
My point is your not big though. If we take into consideration trophies won, you havent won anything. If we consider fanbase, you have none outside newcastle. If we consider financial backing, ashley isnt going to spend a lot. If we take into consideration playing staff, you have a very poor squad. You dont have the great youth teams like arsenal, man yoo, spurs, man city or even middeleboro. You arent well known in europe(players still get linked because of the wages you used to pay). You have no european football. Clubs like spurs are signing the players you are after(modric,woodgate) . Having played for your wonderful fans in your wonderful sytadium dont you think woodgate would have been eager to return especially as you were offering more money than spurs or do you think that he like all other players realises you are a side going nowhere.
I think your supporters are basing your unfounded big club status on a good season 12 years ago. Even in your goalden era(1 season) you still failed to win anything.
18 domtoon // Jul 6, 2008 at 15:49
oh not this old debate again.
19 51times // Jul 6, 2008 at 16:53
Just ban the c*nt, will you Ed? We come on here to avoid the BNP voting bigots like fernando, not to deal with them.
20 shearer 4 pm // Jul 6, 2008 at 17:18
eat that spurs u bunch of stuck up cockney biatchas
:)
21 nobbyyyyyy // Jul 6, 2008 at 17:22
fernando
mate im from somerset, i go to a relitivly small college (1200 studends) but mate i know at least 50 newcastle fans and i know of 2 spurs fans
so dont say we aint got fans out side newcastle alright, and your forgeting newcastles no1 fan, yeah thats right bulgarian striker dimitar berbatov
haha think u jus lost that argument
and i forgot were never anygood in europe are we, cus ur so amazin in the champions league
OH YEH…..sorry
22 DanOx // Jul 6, 2008 at 19:02
@fernando
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
23 steven1979 // Jul 6, 2008 at 19:59
its just a mental masturbation!!!
24 fernando // Jul 6, 2008 at 20:04
nobby by name nob by nature. You know 50 newcastle fans? Liar!! Berbatov was a fan of shearer not your club! Spurs are in the uefa not the champs league. But maybe we will qualify next season with our great squad. Nobby i am guessing you are about 12 due to your poor grammer and awful insults. You are to young to remember newcastles glory season where they didnt win anything.I feel sorry for your fans with nothing to look forward to and nothing to look back on with pride.
I am grateful for newcastle giving us gazza, waddle, ferdinand and ginola. you could almost call yourselves our feeder club.
25 Nobby's Dad // Jul 6, 2008 at 21:22
fernando …Even in our Golden era (1 season).Mate your ignorance of football history is astounding.
I’ll enlighten you, you ignorant Cockney muppet.
Honours - Football League Champions 1904- 05, 1906 -07,1908-09,1926 - 27
Premier League runners up 95-96,96-97
FA cup winners 1910, 1924, 1932, 1951,1952,1955 - Runners up 1905,06,08,1911,1974,1998,1999.
Now hop it…it’s past your bedtime.
26 Nobby's Dad // Jul 6, 2008 at 21:33
oh and by the way fernando you should really learn your clubs history…entered the first divison 1909 - 1910 - ten years after us. First won the 1st divison title in 1951!! And you say we’ve got no history!!