By Adegboyega Adeleye
UEFA will distribute approximately €31.5 million to clubs that released players for the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League, the European football governing body announced on Tuesday.
The distribution, which will be made this week, marks the first payment under the current UEFA Club Benefits Programme cycle, as provided for under the UEFA-European Football Clubs (EFC) Memorandum of Understanding.
The €31.5m distribution will benefit 611 clubs across all UEFA member associations, including amateur clubs. Under the programme, clubs receive compensation based on the number of eligible player appearances on national team match sheets, with a rate of €3,845 per player per match for Nations League and European Qualifiers fixtures.
For UEFA Euro 2028, compensation will instead be calculated on a per-player, per-day basis.
RB Leipzig will receive the highest total from this particular distribution, with approximately €353,000 for releasing 16 players for international duty.
The payment is part of a wider €104m allocation for clubs that release players for the 2024/25 and 2026/27 Nations League campaigns and the qualifying competition for Euro 2028.
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said the Club Support Programme recognises the contribution clubs make to the success of national-team football by developing players and releasing them for international duty.
Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, chairman of European Football Clubs, also described the Club Benefits Programme as an important part of the UEFA-EFC strategic partnership, noting that more than 600 clubs would benefit from the first payment.
The current club benefits cycle linked to Euro 2028 provides for a total distribution of €244m, including €4m carried over from the Euro 2024 programme.
Of the total, €104m is allocated to clubs releasing players for the 2024/25 and 2026/27 Nations League and Euro 2028 qualifying competitions, while a further €140m is reserved for clubs releasing players for the Euro 2028 final tournament.
UEFA said further payments under the programme will be made in stages as the relevant competitions are completed.
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