March 7 – German Football League (DFL) chief Marc Lenz says global football is at a “crossroads” when it comes to competitive balance and the international calendar.
Lenz (pictured) believes national leagues, described as the heartbeat of professional football in Europe, should be represented more clearly and effectively moving forward.
Following Thursday’s general assembly of the European Leagues, Lenz, who was elected to the board, reflected on the past two decades since the foundation of the umbrella organisation.
“Global football is at a crossroads regarding sports policy decisions with long-term ramifications. Therefore, further constructive discussions will be essential in the upcoming months,” Lenz told reporters.
Highlighting the need for sustainable financial and ownership structures, competitive balance, and the future development of the international match calendar, he added: “These issues will shape the future of the national leagues.”
Lenz, the DFL managing director, was speaking 24 hours after FIFA announced that the Club World Cup this summer will boast a prize pool to the 32 participating clubs of $1 billion.
Claudius Schäfer, the Swiss FA boss who has succeeded Portugal’s Pedro Proença as the European Leagues president, took up the same theme as he raised concerns about the impact of such eye-watering sums on smaller and mid-sized leagues.
“When you see the money being paid to those participating in the competition this summer, it is huge,” he said. “Competitive balance is one of the most important topics for a league. The smaller and mid-sized leagues have had very good discussions about solidarity, but we have to be frank – it is a small portion if a club is participating in international competition. I fear for the future to be honest.”
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