To be eligible to participate in the competition, clubs must:
-
have qualified for the competition on sporting merit;
-
fill in the official entry documents (i.e. all documents containing the information deemed necessary by the UEFA administration for ascertaining compliance with the admission criteria), which must reach the UEFA administration by 12 June 2023 (for administrative purposes, the UEFA administration may request the entry documents at an earlier date to be communicated by circular letter; in such a case, the club’s association must confirm to the UEFA administration in writing by 12 June 2023 that the club fulfils all admission criteria set out in Paragraph 4.01);
-
have obtained a licence issued by the competent national body in accordance with the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Sustainability Regulations and be included in the list of licensing decisions to be submitted by this body to the UEFA administration by the given deadline;
-
comply with the rules aimed at ensuring the integrity of the competition (multi-club ownership) as defined and to the extent provided for in Article 5;
-
confirm in writing that they themselves, as well as their players and officials, comply with the IFAB Laws of the Game promulgated by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and agree to respect the statutes (including the principles of fair play as defined therein), regulations, protocols, directives and decisions of UEFA;
-
confirm in writing that they themselves, as well as their players and officials, agree to recognise the jurisdiction of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, as defined in the relevant provisions of the UEFA Statutes and agree that any proceedings before the CAS concerning admission to, participation in or exclusion from the competition will be held in an expedited manner in accordance with the CAS Code of Sports-related Arbitration and with the directions issued by the CAS, including for provisional or super-provisional measures, to the explicit exclusion of any state court;
-
not have been directly and/or indirectly involved, since the entry into force of Article 50(3) of the UEFA Statutes, i.e. 27 April 2007, in any activity aimed at arranging or influencing the outcome of a match at national or international level and confirm this to the UEFA administration in writing.
-
inform UEFA about any and all proceedings before disciplinary bodies or state courts implicating the club or its officials in any activity aimed at arranging or influencing the outcome of a match at national or international level, whether or not the club or its officials have been acquitted.
If, on the basis of all the factual circumstances and information available to UEFA, UEFA concludes to its comfortable satisfaction that a club has been directly and/or indirectly involved, since the entry into force of Article 50(3) of the UEFA Statutes, i.e. 27 April 2007, in any activity aimed at arranging or influencing the outcome of a match at national or international level, UEFA will declare such club ineligible to participate in the competition. Such ineligibility is effective only for one football season. When taking its decision, UEFA can rely on, but is not bound by, a decision of a national or international sporting body, arbitral tribunal or state court. UEFA can refrain from declaring a club ineligible to participate in the competition if UEFA is comfortably satisfied that the impact of a decision taken in connection with the same factual circumstances by a national or international sporting body, arbitral tribunal or state court has already had the effect of preventing that club from participating in a UEFA club competition.
In addition to the administrative measure of declaring a club ineligible as provided for in Paragraph 4.02, the UEFA Organs for the Administration of Justice can, if the circumstances so justify, also take disciplinary measures in accordance with the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations.
If a club refuses to enter the competition, having qualified for it on sporting merit and obtained a licence from the competent national body, no other club from the same association may be entered in its place and the access list (see Annex A) is rebalanced accordingly. Furthermore, in such a case, the coefficient of the association concerned is calculated in accordance with the specific rule laid down in Annex D.
The UEFA administration communicates the decisions on admission to the competition to the clubs in writing, with a copy to their associations. Such decisions are final.
If there is a complaint received by UEFA which casts doubt as to whether a club fulfils the admission criteria defined in Paragraph 4.01(c) and Paragraph 4.01(d), the UEFA administration may refer the case to the UEFA Club Financial Control Body, which decides on the admission without delay in accordance with the Procedural rules governing the UEFA Club Financial Control Body.
If there is any doubt as to whether a club fulfils other admission criteria than those defined in Paragraph 4.01(c) and Paragraph 4.01(d), the UEFA administration may refer the case to the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body, which decides without delay upon the admission in accordance with the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations.
UEFA may carry out investigations at any time (even after the end of the competition) to ensure that the admission criteria are or have been met until the end of the competition; if such an investigation reveals that one of these criteria is or was no longer met in the course of the competition, the club concerned is liable to disciplinary measures in accordance with the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations or the Procedural rules governing the UEFA Club Financial Control Body, as applicable.
A club which is not admitted to the competition is replaced by the next best-placed club in the top domestic championship of the same association, provided the new club fulfils the admission criteria. In this case, the access list (see Annex A) is adjusted accordingly.