FCBARCELONA.CAT

29.05.2008 17:15

Financial compensation for Euro 2008

www.fcbarcelona.cat

Euro 2008 will see the first results of agreements between international bodies and clubs about financial compensation for releasing players. Barça has been a leader in this campaign.

FC Barcelona is one of the clubs which has led the campaign to get financial compensation for releasing players to their national teams. The first results of the agreements reached last winter between UEFA, FIFA and the clubs will be seen in this summer’s Euro 2008 tournament in Switzerland and Austria.

More than €700,000 at least

Barça will be one of the clubs to receive the most money. The club will receive €4,024 per day and player from the time they join up with their national side until the last day in which they take part in the tournament. With 14 days pre-tournament training plus 12 days in the group stage, the players will be away for at least 26 days with their national teams.

For releasing eight of its players - Puyol, Iniesta, Xavi, Deco, Zambrotta, Abidal, Thuram and Henry – for just the group stage of Euro 2008, Barça will take in more than €700,000. This figure could go up as the players’ teams advance in the tournament, and each player who reaches the final will have generated up to €150,000 for his club.

Barça has leading role

This compensation is the result of talks which began at the start of the year. On 15 February the G-14 was dissolved after the European Clubs Association (ECA) had been set up on 21 January and given international recognition by FIFA and UEFA. FC Barcelona is not only one of the sixteen founder members of this organisation, but also alongside Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Chelsea and Olympique de Lyon is on its Board.

One of the main goals of the ECA, which has Joan Laporta as vice-chairman, was this compensation for clubs who release their players for major tournaments (European championships and the World Cup).