Monti backs UEFA foreign stadia rule

By Peter Chapman

Date: 10/06/04

MARIO Monti, the competition commissioner, has rejected claims that a ban on German soccer team Alemannia Aachen's bid to play important UEFA Cup matches in neighbouring Holland is a breach of the Union's anti-trust rules.

The competition chief says that football's governing body UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations, is within its rights to impose restrictions on frontier clubs wishing to play matches in bigger stadia across their borders.

UEFA believes that clubs must play on their home territory, unless there are exceptional circumstances - for example, fears over security.

Otherwise, it claims that its competitions, including the annual Champions League and UEFA Cup tournaments, would be spoiled by clubs ditching their home grounds simply because they can earn more money from hosting a match elsewhere.

German MEP Armin Laschet complained to Monti, insisting that the ruling will stop German club TSV Alemannia Aachen from swapping its tiny stadium for a better ground in nearby Kerkrade, just across the border in Holland, for its forthcoming UEFA Cup matches.

Instead, he argues, it would have to shift its 'home' games to a bigger German stadium more than 80 kilometres away.

The Christian Democrat said the UEFA rules "re-erect the national barriers which have long since been abolished by European law".

However, Monti said UEFA is merely "exercizing its legitimate right to self-regulation". He added the football body is acting in compliance with the EU's strict competition laws, provided its regulations are applied in a non-discriminatory way.

Monti said he has already ruled on a similar case involving Belgian team Excelsior Mouscron, which was prevented from holding a UEFA Cup match against FC Metz in nearby Lille, just across the Wallonia-France border.

Laschet claimed that the Aachen club was forced to find an alternative venue because its home ground "is not equipped with the 80% seating capacity prescribed by UEFA for such international fixtures". However, UEFA sources insisted that the club's stadium does not fall below its safety standards for European competitions.

These stipulate that grounds must have at least 3,000 seats, with 10-15% available to away supporters.

The UEFA sources said the club was probably forced to find alternative premises by German soccer authorities, who have stricter controls.

Mario Monti, European Commissioner for Competition, says that UEFA, football's governing body, is within its rights to impose restrictions on frontier clubs wishing to play matches in bigger stadia across their borders.