At the request of coaches including Netherlands’ Ronald Koeman and England’s Gareth Southgate, UEFA approved amendments to Euros rules that will allow teams to draft more players to deal with injuries.
European Championship teams for Euro 2024 will have the option to bolster their squads with an additional three players, UEFA announced on Friday. This amendment to the tournament rules aims to provide teams with more flexibility to manage injuries during the competition, scheduled to take place from June 14 to July 14.
Traditionally, tournament squads consisted of 23 players. However, UEFA had expanded squad sizes to 26 for Euro 2020, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and held the following year. Similarly, FIFA increased squad sizes to 26 for the 2022 World Cup to address pandemic-related concerns within delegations.
The decision to maintain larger squads for Euro 2024, hosted in Germany, reflects the ongoing adjustments made to tournament regulations in the post-pandemic landscape.
UEFA clarified that the increase in squad size is not mandatory for participating national associations, offering teams the discretion to optimize their rosters based on their specific needs.
With the allowance for up to 72 additional players across all teams, UEFA is expected to adjust the compensation provided to clubs for releasing their players for national team duty during Euro 2024. This compensation is drawn from a designated fund, with a portion of the tournament revenue allocated for distribution to clubs affected by player call-ups.
In collaboration with the European Club Association, UEFA has earmarked 140 million euros ($150 million) from the total tournament revenue, exceeding 2 billion euros ($2.16 billion), to compensate clubs whose players participate in the finals tournament. An additional 100 million euros ($108 million) has been allocated to clubs affected by player call-ups for Euro 2024 qualifying matches and Nations League fixtures.
Following Euro 2020, Chelsea emerged as the top beneficiary, receiving a payment of 5.1 million euros ($5.5 million) from the UEFA club benefits fund, which totaled 200 million euros ($216 million).
The distribution of funds underscores UEFA’s commitment to supporting clubs impacted by player involvement in international competitions, ensuring a fair and equitable system of compensation.
