More even split of Champions League funds to come

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Champions League and Europa League revenue will be distributed more evenly next season, the European Clubs Association (ECA) and UEFA said on Tuesday. The announcement came amid concern the gulf between the richest clubs and the rest was widening, with the result that domestic leagues and the Champions League are becoming increasingly predictable. "ECA and UEFA have together developed a revolutionary distribution mechanism for the Champions League and Europa League aimed at sharing ... revenue growth more evenly among European clubs," ECA and UEFA said in a joint statement after an ECA meeting. "A record funding pot of 2.24 billion euros (1.63 billion pounds) will be divided (per season) with a new focus on solidarity. "A greater proportion of funds than ever before will go to Europa League participants, to participants in the qualifying rounds and to clubs in medium/smaller championships. "The concept means more funding for all because the new percentage-based system ensures every stakeholder will benefit proportionally from the competitions' continued growth." ECA chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said he was pleased with the outcome. "We have something like 220 clubs as members so we have big clubs like Real Madrid, mid-sized clubs like Porto and small clubs coming from Malta, Cyprus and so on," Rummenigge told Reuters. VERY HAPPY "We have to care about club football as a whole and not just for the big and rich clubs. We are very happy with the outcome ... because it's very favourable for club football and once more a signal that club football is in very good shape. "ECA is still a very young organisation and these achievements are an extraordinary success which will strengthen the solidarity among the clubs and our sense of responsibility for football," added Rummenigge. The ECA said more money would also be distributed to clubs who release players for Euro 2020 and that, for the first time, the amount would be calculated as a percentage rather than a fixed figure. "Clubs will receive eight percent of income from broadcast, commercial and ticketing/hospitality, with the minimum set at 200 million euros, a 50 million increase on the clubs' share of Euro 2016 revenues," said the ECA. Gianni Infantino, general secretary of European football's ruling body UEFA, said: "The key words in all of this are good governance...dynamic governance with the involvement of the clubs directly in the executive committee of UEFA." (Writing by Brian Homewood, editing by Sudipto Ganguly and Tony Jimenez)