Rick Parry hailed a vital step forward after being named on the board of the newly-formed European Club Association.

Parry joined his Chelsea counterpart Peter Kenyon on a 15-man board which replaced the now defunct G14 body and will have a crucial voice in running the European game over the next two years.

One innovation could see the UEFA Cup being rebranded the Europa Cup from the start of the 2009-10 season, and given a greater push to raise its profile.

"We wanted a proper say in the issues that affect us most and it is vitally important that there is an English voice," said Parry.

"This body has far greater credibility than G14, both with fellow clubs and UEFA, because it was always seen as an elite group. Now we have clubs with widely diverging interests."

Although five English clubs were among the 103 ECA members invited to Monday's inaugural ECA general assembly, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle all had no representation at what was widely regarded as the most significant club meeting since the disbandment of G14.

But Rangers director John McClelland could not disguise his pride at being elected on to the board to represent Scottish views.

"It's very important that clubs of our size, those that were outside G14, are represented," McClelland said.

"Prior to today, there were two groups representing the clubs. Now we have one solid voice including many of the so-called two-tier clubs."

German goalscoring legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, boss of Bayern Munich, is almost certain to be named as chairman of the new forum on Tuesday when a vice-chairman and general secretary will also be elected.

Although today's business dealt primarily with appointing the board, it also emerged that UEFA are considering ways to make the UEFA Cup a more marketable and revenue-generating competition - with the Europa Cup suggestion being mooted.

"I believe we have to change the branding in order to increase the prize money and make the competition more interesting for the participating clubs," said Rummenigge.

"Everyone has always had the impression that the UEFA Cup is a second-class competition and we have to do more to make it more like it was 15 or 20 years ago in terms of importance."

UEFA officials privately expressed their irritation that news of a potential name change had been made public without their approval, but confirmed that a final decision would be made at their executive committee meeting in Bordeaux at the end of September.

The meeting of football powerbrokers at UEFA headquarters in Geneva also provided an opportunity for individual clubs to privately discuss their transfer targets for the new season.

Manchester United chief executive David Gill came face to face with officials from Real Madrid but remained tight-lipped over the future of Cristiano Ronaldo, avoiding reporters and cameramen before joining his colleagues in a friendly football match ahead of a private dinner.

But Real's international affairs spokesman Jose Luis Lopez-Serrano confirmed Ronaldo was still interesting the Spanish champions, even though he has four years of his United contract still to run and has just undergone an ankle operation.

"Real Madrid is always interested in good players," said Lopez-Serrano, who replaced the club's president, Ramon Calderon - another ECA board member - at the high-level symposium.

"I think our president has tried to get in touch with Manchester United. I can't say whether Ronaldo will soon be wearing a Real Madrid shirt but he is certainly one of the best."