BRUSSELS, Oct 11: UEFA President Michel Platini and footballers’ union official Philippe Piat signed an “historic” agreement on Thursday to promote unity and close cooperation.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the international players association Fifpro have often clashed, notably on the freedom of movement of players which culminated in the famous Bosman ruling.

However during their meeting in Brussels the two parties agreed that it was preferable to solve any differences through dialogue rather than the courts, Platini said.

“This agreement, drawn up in a spirit of collaboration, unity and defence of the values of our sport, is historic because it will truly change the way in which football in Europe is governed,” said the former French international.

“In effect, this agreement is nothing more or less than the first decisive step towards the integration of all the families within football into UEFA’s decision-making process,” he added.

“Rather than solving the problems in the courts we are going to work hand in hand,” echoed Piat, the head of Fifpro’s Europe division, after the pair signed the deal in Anderlecht’s stadium in Brussels.

The Memorandum of Understanding covers a wide range of areas including the “equitable redistribution of wealth, collective rather than individual exploitation of wealth, a commitment to democracy, the need to preserve the values of sport in the face of growing corporate control, and the protection and development of a large and healthy professional football sector in Europe,”UEFA said.—AFP