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Clubs and national associations from across Europe are already gearing up for next season following UEFA’s latest round of regional club licensing workshops.
Three events, held in Armenia, Estonia and the Netherlands, with support from host associations, brought European football’s licensing community together to discuss the latest updates to the system.
Each of UEFA’s 55 member associations were invited to participate, fostering community engagement and facilitating discussions on club licensing and financial sustainability matters.
All of the workshops featured a diverse line-up of speakers from UEFA, associations and local clubs. During the sessions, discussions were centred around the development of the regulations and best practices from across Europe. Other key topics included the communication between licensors and clubs, and information on the recently launched club licensing exchange programme.
Representatives from the three host associations offered valuable perspectives shaped by their national contexts, with club representatives from Armenia’s FC Urartu and JK Welco from Estonia showcasing their achievements across various areas of focus, including infrastructure and sustainability.
Vahan Berakchyan, head of licensing, Football Federation of Armenia (FFA), said, “As the host of the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Sustainability workshop in Yerevan, I am truly delighted by the remarkable outcomes of our collective efforts. The workshop was a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved to come together, share ideas, and learn from each other. It’s amazing to see how these discussions can help make football better for everyone on both local and international levels, We made a huge step forward [in] advancing the standards of football governance and sustainability globally.”
Birgit Veebel, club licensing manager, Estonian Football Association (EFA), said, “The UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Sustainability Regional workshop is a format that provides opportunity to engage club licensing managers more interactively. It allows member associations to share knowhow and best practises in club licensing system management, as well as to provide feedback and insight about the current and future regulations and their implementation. Hosting such an event is an excellent opportunity to introduce your country, your football, to inspire and be inspired!”
Paul van Wageningen, licensing manager, Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB), said, “The club licensing workshop provided a perfect opportunity to receive relevant updates from UEFA, to discuss and to learn from views and best practices of other member associations. This workshop, like all club licensing workshops, contributed to promoting and continuously raising standards in all aspects of football in Europe. It was an honour and pleasure to host this regional workshop together with UEFA and welcome everyone in Amsterdam.”
The gatherings follow the publication of UEFA’s latest Club Finance and Investment Landscape Report, the annual club licensing benchmarking study on European club football. The study’s findings, presented during the workshops, offer a comprehensive review of the European football finance landscape.
Overall, the workshops served as a valuable platform to strengthen the European club licensing network in preparation for the 2024/2025 licence season.
