Six clubs have received special permission from UEFA to play in Europe this season. This was necessary because several clubs have the same owners and this is against European football rules.
UEFA allows clubs with the same owners in Europe under certain conditions
To avoid conflicts of interest, UEFA does not want clubs with the same owners to play in Europe. This season this applies to the following collaborations: Aston Villa and Vitória Guimarães, Brighton & Hove Albion and Union Sint-Gillis and AC Milan and Toulouse. UEFA has now confirmed that these clubs are allowed to be active in Europe.
The European association came to this decision, due to various measures that were taken at the clubs. For example, several board members resigned from Toulouse to reduce the influence of the owners. UEFA agreed to this, but did set conditions for participation.
For example, cooperating clubs are no longer allowed to trade with each other from now on. Players will not be allowed to transfer on a rental or permanent basis through September 2024. Clubs are also not allowed to enter into commercial or technical partnerships, nor are they allowed to use a joint scouting or player database.
So many clubs now have the clarity they need for the coming season, for Osasuna that clarity is not yet there. The Spaniards were banned by UEFA, because they were involved in a match-fixing scandal in the 2013/14 season. UEFA does not want Osasuna in Europe, the club has approached CAS to enforce this.
KNVB announces measures against homophobic chants
KNVB wants to tackle homophobic chants towards players or arbitration in the stadiums from next season. That is the outcome of the general meeting of professional football at the end of June.
In the case of homophobic chants aimed at an individual, the stadium speaker will warn the perpetrators first when it sounds massive, repetitive and/or for a long time. Failure to do so may result in a match being temporarily suspended.
If the perpetrators of the chants are traced, they can get a stadium ban of up to eighteen months. Professional football will evaluate the new approach after the end of the 2023/24 season and further agreements will be made on that basis.
“Everyone and everybody can play football. Chants that use the word homophobically are not included in this. We have drawn the boundary together,” Marianne van Leeuwen, administrator of professional football said. She says that they will assess the actions we are now taking to see if they produce the desired outcome.
