MOSCOW: Arsenal’s status within European football – 13 successive seasons in the Champions League knockout stages  – has been underlined by the ‘promotion’ of ceo Ivan Gazidis to the executive board of the influential European Club Assciation writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

Gazidis succeeds his Manchester United counterpart David Gill both in that role and as the ECA’s representative on European federation UEFA’s Professional Football Strategy Council.

This follows Gill’s decision to seek election to the UEFA Executive Committee next spring.

Gazidis has been actively involved within ECA since its creation in 2008 and is is currently chairman of the ECA Legal Advisory Panel and a member of the ECA Competitions Working Group.

ECA chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said:  “His experience and distinct football knowledge will add a lot of value to ECA and European club football as a whole. At the same time, I would like to thank David Gill for his invaluable contribution to ECA over the last three years.”

Gazidis said he was looking forward “to representing the top European clubs in many important debates as we move ahead.”

Rummenigge’s forceful leadership produced significant success in the past year for ECA in negotiations with FIFA and UEFA over insurance for players on international duty and the shape of the next unified international match calendar.

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