The Dutch Federation of Professional Football Clubs (FBO) has been formally admitted as the newest Associate Member of the EPFL. The admission of the Dutch employers’ representatives was approved by the Board of Director of the Association of European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) at its latest meeting held in Brussels

The FBO is the official “employers” organisation within the Dutch Professional Football. All the Dutch professional clubs are member of the FBO and on behalf of them the FBO is responsible for the collective bargaining agreements within professional football in Netherlands.

After years of intense cooperation, the FBO is now formally part of the EPFL’s structure. The Dutch federation of clubs will therefore be actively engaged in all EPFL initiatives and relevant bodies, including the newly created Standing Committees such as Players’ Transfers and Players’ Agents Committee and the Social Dialogue Committee.

On behalf of the EPFL, the CEO Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros welcomed the interest of the Dutch employers’ representatives in joining the Association: “The EPFL is proud to be an open, democratic and growing organisation. We had already the privilege and the responsibility of being the common voice of the 25 major European Leagues and their 816 affiliated clubs at the European level. With the inclusion of the FBO, our family is getting bigger and bigger. We have never been so well equipped and strongly resolute to meet the increasing challenges facing the professional game and assist the employers in safeguarding their legitimate interests.”

The FBO Managing Director, Mark Boetekees, states: “The FBO is very pleased to become an Associate Member of the EPFL. The FBO is of the opinion that the EPFL-membership is in benefit of the Dutch professional football clubs, all being members of the FBO. The membership of the EPFL gives the FBO the opportunity to be directly involved in matters that are very important to the FBO and its members, such as the Social Dialogue and the regulations regarding transfers of players and players' agents. Furthermore, the FBO is convinced that it can provide a positive contribution with regard to several discussions within the EPFL. For example, the FBO has long term experience in negotiating collective bargaining agreements within Dutch professional football. Recently the collective bargaining agreement with the Players’ Unions has been renewed and prolonged until 2011. The FBO trusts to have a very good relationship with the EPFL and its members and looks forward to a fruitful cooperation.”

Nyon, 24 January 2008

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