No. 163 DECEMBER 2016 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE UNION OF EUROPEAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATIONS WOMEN’S EURO 2017 A record 16 teams are gearing up for next summer’s Women’s EURO in the Netherlands GRASSROOTS THE FOOTBALL FOOTBALL TECHNICIAN REVOLUTION Celebrating UEFA Grassroots Roy Hodgson shares his experience The transformation from Week all over Europe with student coaches leather to synthetic www.uefafoundation.org EDITORIAL TAKING WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TO ANOTHER LEVEL t may not have been long since I started I am committed to carrying this momentum my mandate as UEFA president, but already throughout my mandate as UEFA president. II have witnessed how passionate this I want to help take the women’s game to organisation is about promoting, protecting another level. My vision is that one day we will and developing football in Europe. speak not about women’s football development It has given me great pleasure to learn more but just women’s football. about all the projects and initiatives that we are This is a vision I think we can achieve by pursuing with our national associations to reach working together with all national associations our common goal of safeguarding the future and investing in making the game stronger. of our sport. And then, by combining the growing strength I recently had the opportunity to attend the of grassroots initiatives and the increasing draw for UEFA Women’s EURO 2017 in profile of our competitions, we will surely Rotterdam and this allowed me to underline be able to celebrate many more great my commitment to the development of accomplishments in the future. women’s football across the continent. This flagship tournament, which had its first edition in 1984, has grown immensely and will feature a record 16 teams next year. It is a sign that progress has been made and that momentum exists in this sector. This momentum has largely been driven by the hard work and dedication of the nations who have invested in the women’s game and have been leading by example. So I would like to thank the superpowers who have celebrated European success and those who are now Aleksander Čeferin taking their first steps at elite level. UEFA President UEFA DIRECT • December 2016 – 03 CONTENTS 22 UEFA 6 Sportsfile IN THIS ISSUE 6 Women’s EURO 2017 18 Social responsibility The 16 finalists now know who they will face Clubs in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA in the Netherlands. Europa League and UEFA Women’s Champions Official publication of the Union of European League all say ‘No to Racism’. Football Associations 8 Women’s football The Polish Football Association showcases its Chief editor: 22 The Technician Emmanuel Deconche women’s football development programme. During a coach education student exchange in Nyon, Roy Hodgson shared some of his Deputy chief editor: Dominique Maurer 10 From leather to fast wealth of experience with the next generation synthetic spheres of elite coaches. External contributors: Forty years ago, footballs started to change Simon Hart (page 10) Julien Hernandez (page 16) beyond all recognition. Some of those who 28 For the record experienced the transformation at first hand The latest on injury trends and diagnoses Production: Touchline tell UEFA Direct how it changed the game. from UEFA’s elite club injury study. Printing: 16 How the away goals rule 30 Grassroots football Artgraphic Cavin CH-1422 Grandson came into being Associations all over Europe celebrate UEFA UEFA Direct delves into the history behind the Grassroots Week. Editorial deadline: away goals rule, which has been a fundamental 17 November 2016 part of UEFA competitions since the 1960s. 38 News from member Cover photo: associations Getty Images; Stef22 / Dreamstime.com 04 – UEFA DIRECT • December 2016 THE TECHNICIANCONTENTS 10 PA 30 FFU 18 Getty Images UEFA DIRECT • December 2016 – 05 THEWOMEN’S TECHNICIAN EURO EXPANDED FINALS OPEN DOORS TO NEW NATIONS There were five debutants among the 16 teams in the draw for UEFA Women’s EURO 2017 in Rotterdam on 8 November. s only 13 different countries high of 39 goals. Their qualification was had ever qualified for previous confirmed in June, when the only team A European Women’s Championship that could catch them, Finland, were held final tournaments, the expansion from 0-0 by Portugal. 12 teams to 16 for the 2017 edition That proved a crucial result as Finland, was guaranteed to bring new names chasing a fourth straight qualification, into the mix. then travelled to Portugal in September And so it did. While Germany will be and, despite leading 2-0, lost 3-2 to a going for a seventh straight title in the Cláudia Neto hat-trick. ‘CN7’ then scored Netherlands next summer, and both on the rebound from a saved penalty in Norway and Italy will be competing in their the Republic of Ireland four days later, with 11th final tournament, Austria, Belgium, 12 minutes left, to take Portugal – seeded Portugal, Scotland and Switzerland will all fourth in the group – above Finland on be making their debuts at this stage of the head-to-head record and into the competition. play-offs. Preliminary round Group 3 A record starting line-up of 47 nations, Getty Images Romania booked their place against including the hosts, meant a preliminary Portugal as a 2-1 success over Ukraine gave round was needed to reduce the list of them second place and a first-ever play-off hopefuls to 40 for the main qualifying – it would have been a place in the finals group stage. Moldova – on home soil had Russia not pipped them to the sixth – and Georgia came through the runners-up berth by a single goal. preliminary mini-tournaments in April Pole position was never in doubt as 2015, with first-timers Andorra among the France claimed eight straight victories teams failing to progress to the eight main without conceding and became the first groups, which played home and away in team to qualify on 11 April. They have now the 12 months from September 2015. won a record 41 group qualifiers in a row The eight group winners and the six and the 24,835 crowd that watched them runners-up with the best record against beat Greece in Rennes in June was a the teams that finished first, third and Women’s EURO qualifying record. fourth in their section would qualify automatically, with the other two Group 4 second-placed sides to play off for the Sweden comfortably qualified, edging 16th berth in the Netherlands. Slovakia 2-1 in September for a seventh Getty Images successive win, the Scandinavian side fresh Group 1 from taking Olympic silver the previous From the opening fixtures, when Scotland They did not have to worry. By the time month. Denmark, who had endured an won 3-0 in Slovenia and Iceland beat they visited Iceland for their final qualifier unhappy World Cup qualifying campaign, Belarus 2-0, the group always looked like a on 20 September, both Scotland and their dropped points early on by losing in two-horse race. Indeed, by the time they hosts were guaranteed at least to be one Sweden and drawing in Poland, but met for the first time in June, neither team of the six best runners-up. Scotland finished with a flourish, clinching second had dropped a point and, between them, celebrated with a 2-1 victory, Jane Ross place by defeating their neighbours 2-0 in they had 44 goals from nine games. striking twice to finish as ten-goal their last qualifier. The 1-0 loss in the Iceland, seeking a third straight qualifying joint-top scorer with Iceland’s reverse fixture featured the only goal the qualification, prefigured their male team’s Harpa Thorsteinsdóttir and Norway’s Danes conceded in the group. EURO 2016 heroics by winning 4-0 in Ada Hegerberg. Scotland, giving Anna Signeul’s side a Group 5 shudder that they might face the same Group 2 Germany qualified with their usual fate as in 2009 and 2013, when they There was no stopping Spain, who won consummate ease, making it official just a faced heartbreaking play-off defeats. all of their eight matches with a qualifying day after France with a 2-0 triumph over 06 – UEFA DIRECT • December 2016 her first two caps away and at home against Estonia, and bagged hat-tricks in both games. Group 8 Norway, aided by the goals of Hegerberg, made short work of winning the group, dropping points only in a 2-2 home draw with Austria. That result was the highlight of a campaign that took Austria to their maiden finals, making it certain with a 0-0 stalemate in Wales. Play-offs Getty Images A fifth debut finalist was guaranteed as Portugal – beaten in the play-offs Croatia. By the end they had won all eight Italy, meanwhile, found themselves of 1997 and 2001 – took on Romania. matches, scored 35 goals without reply, pressed by both Northern Ireland and Portugal, who began qualifying ranked landed a first Olympic gold and smoothly the Czech Republic for second spot right 26th to Romania’s 22nd, were drawn transitioned from long-standing coach until the end of qualifying. In their last to play the first leg at home but despite Silvia Neid to successor Steffi Jones. two matches, though, the Azzurre won dominating in Lisbon were held 0-0, Second place was more of a race as Russia 3-0 in Northern Ireland and dismissed Neto hitting the post with a penalty only managed five points from their first the Czechs 3-1 to join Switzerland in that then rolled into goalkeeper Andrea four games.