No. 175 CHAMPIONS INSIDE AND OUT No.175 • March 2018 No.175 Portugal win Futsal EURO 2018 NATIONS THE TECHNICIAN INTERVIEW LEAGUE The language quandary David Gill, UEFA treasurer Everything to play for in the dressing room and vice-president www.uefafoundation.org EDITORIAL REAPING THE REWARDS OF OUR SHARED SUCCESS he global attention generated by the and to bring to fruition all those initiatives they UEFA Nations League draw in Lausanne have always longed for and needed. T in January was a welcome reminder that EURO prize money has also been increased national team football is stronger than ever. substantially. We have decided to make more The moves we have made together in recent funds available to more teams per round and to years to centralise national team football and apply significantly higher financial rewards for to rejuvenate it with a new competition have the performances on the pitch. Again, these started to pay off as it becomes increasingly additional funds will go to our member popular with fans and broadcasters across associations, enabling them to invest in the globe. grassroots, education and development Popularity of our competitions is important projects in their territories. for their livelihood, and generating further Following on from the increase in the amount revenues is as well, but it is what UEFA does available for distribution in the UEFA Women’s with those additional funds that can truly make Champions League, I am also pleased to a difference to the protection, promotion and announce that the funds allocated to the development of football in Europe. development of women’s football are being In keeping with UEFA’s tradition, the net doubled. This is another strong sign of UEFA’s revenues stemming from the success of our commitment to developing the women’s game. national team competitions will flow back to When you put the significant increase in the our member associations via the HatTrick amount for distribution in men’s club football programme, the distribution of EURO prize into the equation as well, it all adds up to money and the agreed centralised media rights record amounts being shared across all areas of distribution for European Qualifiers and the European football. UEFA Nations League. This would not have been possible without When it comes down to it, it is all about the continuous collaboration and support of all teamwork, and it is thanks to the dedicated our stakeholders. Thank you to all of you! work and successful cooperation between the member associations and UEFA that we can celebrate the gains made. It was with great pleasure and pride, therefore, that we announced at the recent UEFA Congress in Bratislava that HatTrick funds would increase by 25% for the next cycle. These new funds will give national associations even more opportunities to improve their Theodore Theodoridis infrastructure, solidarity and education projects UEFA General Secretary UEFA DIRECT • March 2018 – 03 CONTENTS UEFA 34 Official publication of the Union of European Football Associations Chief editor: Emmanuel Deconche 6 Sportsfile Deputy chief editor: Dominique Maurer Chief writer: Mark Chaplin IN THIS ISSUE External contributors: Graham Turner (page 6) Julien Hernandez (pages 12, 26) 6 FUTSAL EURO 2018 14 #EQUALGAME Paolo Menicucci (page 22) Portugal were crowned European Ljubomir may have lost part of champions in Ljubljana one of his arms, but after switching Translations: UEFA Language Services on 10 February. from goalkeeping to refereeing, football is still a big part of his life. Production: Touchline 11 RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAMME 22 SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Printing: Artgraphic Cavin, Social responsibility in The Italian Football Association CH-1422 Grandson the age of social media. presents its ambitious programme for young migrants. Editorial deadline: 12 February 2018 12 UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE The draw in Lausanne heralds the Cover photo: 26 THE TECHNICIAN Sportsfile start of Europe’s all-new national With professional football clubs team competition. tending to be a real multilingual affair these days, how do players and coaches communicate? 04 – UEFA DIRECT • March 2018 CONTENTS UEFA 12 26 Fabrice Nassisi 32 UEFA GROW How UEFA GROW is helping the national associations to maximise their potential on and off the pitch. 34 DAVID GILL Interview with the UEFA treasurer and vice-president. 39 NEWS FROM MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS UEFA 14 UEFA DIRECT • March 2018 – 05 PORTUGAL WIN HISTORIC FUTSAL TITLE Portugal – pretenders to the throne for the best part of two decades – finally donned the European crown after a thrilling 3-2 extra-time victory over seven-time champions Spain in the UEFA Futsal EURO 2018 final, played on 10 February at the magnificent Stožice Arena in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana. UEFA 6 – UEFA DIRECT • March 2018 FUTSAL EURO 2018 ortugal's long-awaited triumph management attitudes and fear of defeat. very different goalkeeping styles. Georgi allowed them to become the fourth But credit where credit was due: the Zamtaradze guarded the Russian net with P winners of the trophy and to standard of goalkeeping was outstanding. efficiency and sobriety; Higuita contributed emulate Spain’s extraordinary feat of to Kazakhstan’s game plans with panache, being champions of Europe in the outdoor Goalkeepers stand out self-confidence, acrobatic shot-stopping, and indoor disciplines at the same time. The bronze medal match provided a flamboyant upfield sorties and, in the Although Jorge Braz’s team had to graphic illustration. Russia and Kazakhstan semi-final against Spain, a spectacular goal wait until 55 seconds from the event’s offered the fans a spectacular game from long range. final whistle to seal the ultimate victory, punctuated by 96 goals attempts. It ended Alongside the duo in the nominees few could dispute the argument that with a 1-0 victory for the Russian team for UEFA’s team of the tournament was Portugal had competed at the highest level that had taken Portugal to the wire in a the Slovenia keeper, Damir Puškar, who, throughout the 12-day final tournament. dramatic semi-final. As it happened, the apart from conceding only five times in With 23 goals in their five games, they match which acted as curtain-raiser for three games, was a key protagonist in one were by far and away the most prolific the Portugal v Spain final involved the two of the major surprises of the group phase. scorers in an event where goals came at goalkeepers who were ultimately selected The hosts had opened the tournament a premium. Statistically, this was illustrated by UEFA’s technical observers for their with disappointment in an opening fixture by a downturn of nigh on 30% in team of the tournament. As it happened, which, curiously, replicated the opening comparison with the goal tally registered the observers were Javier Lozano of Spain game of Futsal EURO 2016, when they at the previous tournament in Serbia in and Orlando Duarte of Portugal. And, as it had taken on Serbia, who were hosting 2016. A drop from 129 to 91 raised all happened, the keepers they selected were the event. This time, Slovenia avoided a manner of debating points about risk two very different personalities with two repetition of that 5-1 defeat and were UEFA UEFA DIRECT DIRECT • March• March 2018 201 8– –35 7 hopeful of taking three points when they surged into a 2-0 first-half lead. Serbia, however, refused to raise the white flag and the second of their two replies came when they were operating with a flying goalkeeper 28 seconds before the end. Turn-ups for the books in the groups The 2-2 scoreline was a sign of things to come at an event which produced more drawn games (six) than any previous tournament. Serbia went on to snatch another draw against Italy in an encounter that yielded 76 goal attempts (two-thirds of them by Italy) but only two goals from set plays. The result left Group A dependent on the final showdown between Slovenia and Italy. Roberto Menichelli’s team produced an overwhelming first half yet, thanks in great part to Puškar’s shot-stopping, could score only once. And so it stayed until past the half-hour mark. Then, suddenly, a cross from the left by Matej “Georgi Zamtaradze Fideršek was met at the far post by the guarded the Russian unmarked Slovenia captain Igor Osredkar. net with efficiency ... Apart from spreading jubilation among the sell-out crowd, the significance was UEFA that, in a three-way tie on two points, Italy would be out. Hence the introduction of the flying keeper – only for Osredkar to exhilarating solo skills and athletic qualities goals in the 3-5 defeat by Azerbaijan steal the ball from Murilo, run unopposed seemingly at odds with players who which sent Pierre Jacky’s team home. at the Italy goal and clinch the 2-1 result had been obliged to negotiate time away It proved to be the only victory of the that sent the 2014 champions home. from their jobs to travel to Slovenia. All this tournament for Azerbaijan. A 1-0 defeat The group stage threw up further was understandably tempered by a lack against an edgy Spain fazed by the surprises, albeit none so drastic in terms of big-match experience which, firstly, performance against France consigned of unexpectedly revising homeward travel allowed Spain to come back from 2-4 them to a quarter-final against Portugal, plans. In Group B, Poland – in the final down to register a 4-4 draw which was, the only team to have won both of their tournament for the first time in 17 years – nonetheless, a creditable result for the group games. The 8-1 victory for Jorge were expected to be second-best against debutants and then, in the second match, Braz’s team included four goals for former champions Russia.