A growing coalition of mid-level European football clubs is challenging the current financial structure of UEFA competitions, proposing a major overhaul to how revenues from the Champions League and other tournaments are distributed.
The Union of European Clubs (UEC) has called for a significant increase in solidarity payments, suggesting that the current €308 million allocated to non-participating clubs should be raised to €2 billion and extended across first and second divisions throughout Europe.
The proposal directly targets UEFA’s existing revenue distribution model, which allocates the majority of prize money to elite competitions. Under the current system, approximately 74% of the revenue pool is assigned to the UEFA Champions League, with 17% going to the Europa League and 9% to the Conference League.
The UEC argues for a more balanced split of 50%-30%-20% across UEFA’s club competitions, alongside a reduction in the financial concentration at the top of the game. Central to its proposal is the elimination of the so-called “value pillar,†a mechanism that accounts for roughly 35% of total payouts and rewards clubs based on historical performance and domestic media market value.
According to the UEC, removing this component would allow for broader redistribution of revenues, particularly toward clubs outside the European elite, while maintaining competition-based earnings for participating teams.
Supporters of the proposal argue that the current system risks widening the financial gap between regular European competitors and the rest of the domestic football pyramid, potentially impacting competitive balance across national leagues.
To illustrate its case, the UEC points to domestic leagues such as the Eredivisie, where redistribution could significantly increase UEFA-derived income for clubs outside European competition while reducing earnings for those regularly participating in continental tournaments.
UEC representatives have framed the proposal as a long-term structural adjustment aimed at sustaining competitiveness across European football, emphasizing the need to balance growth with equitable distribution in an increasingly commercialized ecosystem.
Discussions between stakeholders and UEFA are expected to continue, as debates over revenue allocation remain central to the future governance of European club competitions.