Football Supporters Europe (FSE), SD Europe and European Leagues have reached an agreement to formalise the working relationship and future cooperation between the three organisations.
This agreement comes at a time when football’s challenges are clear for all to see. FSE, SD Europe and European Leagues agree that football needs reform, and to achieve it requires genuine cooperation.
The agreement is based on a set of principles that FSE, SD Europe and European Leagues are aligned on and which focus on the protection and sustainable development of domestic and international football.
The principles* cover:
- Protection of the domestic football environment based on structural dialogue between leagues and fans
Inclusion and Diversity - Governance of International football
- Protection of domestic football environment when engaging with UEFA and FIFA on the development of international football competitions and their main pillars (Format; Calendar; Access; Revenue Distribution)
SD Europe CEO Antonia Hagemann said “Fans and leagues share common principles and we now want to put them into action in specific projects and activities. We all want the game to be sustainable and competitive but also fair and collaborative. For SD Europe the formal relationship between fan organisations and leagues is crucial – on the national and European level. To save European football we all need to work together.”
FSE Executive Director Ronan Evain said: “Fans have distinct interests when it comes to the future of European football. But in many instances these interests align with other stakeholders—the protection of domestic competitions, greater equality within and between leagues, maintaining sporting merit, and so on. We are therefore pleased to have been able to reach an understanding with European Leagues and look forward to working together in the future.”
European Leagues Managing Director Jacco Swart said: “Fans are a key stakeholder in football. Their passion and engagement towards their respective clubs and communities are a very important asset for our leagues. Fans cheer as much as we do for inclusive, financially sustainable, and well-balanced exciting domestic competitions where sporting merit and sporting ability are the sole deciding factor in winning or losing. It is a natural step to converge and work together to protect domestic football in the interest of all professional leagues and their clubs and fans across Europe.
