G-14

From Free net encyclopedia

The G-14 is an organisation of European football clubs. It was founded in 2000 by 14 leading clubs to provide a unified voice in negotiations with UEFA and FIFA. New members may join by invitation only. In August 2002, four more clubs joined, taking the membership to 18, although the organisation has retained its original name.

The G-14 clubs are spread across seven different countries, and have won around 250 national league titles between them. They have won the European Cup/Champions League in 40 out of 50 seasons.

The 2004 Champions League final was the first in that competition since 1992 in which one of the finalists was not a current G-14 member; the 2004 final featured member Porto and non-member AS Monaco. There have been only three Champions League or European Cup finals where both teams were not members of the present G-14.

As for the other existing major UEFA club competition, the UEFA Cup, twelve finals have featured two non-members. 2005 was the first final since 1989 to be contested between two non-members - CSKA Moscow and Sporting Lisbon.

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Disagreement with FIFA

In April 2004, the G-14 initiated a preliminary investigation into FIFA by the Swiss Competition Commission, when G-14 complained of FIFA's requiring their players to be available for FIFA international competitions without compensating the clubs for their salaries and injuries. FIFA president Sepp Blatter has refused to even negotiate with the G14 on the matter.

In September 2005 the G-14 clubs decided to take FIFA to court over paying players for internationals after the Belgian club Charleroi lost Abdelmajid Oulmers in November for eight months when he was injured playing for Morocco.

The case officially opened on September 5th 2005.

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