UEFAdirect-92•E 17.11.2009 10:01 Page 1 12.09 General secretaries meet in Nyon 0303 Financial fair play workshop 0606 Match operations centre 0707 Anti-racism action week 1111 No 58 92 – Février December 2007 2009 UEFAdirect-92•E 17.11.2009 10:01 Page 2 Message of the -Woods Photos: uefa-pjwoods.ch General Secretary Photos: UEFA On the same team As part of our recent reorganisation and on the recommendation of our president, the Executive Committee has appointed me UEFA general secretary. I thank them for entrusting me with this office and will do all I can to repay their faith in me. My predecessor, David Taylor, is to become CEO of a new UEFA subsidiary, which will regroup our commercial activities and event management, so the administration can concentrate on its core mission: football and its development. With this realignment we are not creating two UEFAs; we will always be one and the same team, united by the same spirit and guided by the same philosophy. Our objective has not changed in over 50 years – it remains that of serving and promoting European football, while listening to the needs of our members. We want to help them not only to rise to everyday challenges, but also to anticipate difficulties, in order to keep football on its successful path. We work in permanent cooperation with all members of the football IN THIS ISSUE family, which – alongside the national associations – includes the leagues, clubs, players (professional and amateur) and supporters. And we do not confine our General secretaries efforts to the playing field, because football has an impact far beyond the pitch. meet in Nyon 03 Our game is an incredible, universal vehicle for emotion and passion, but with Financial fair play workshop this enviable power comes a responsibility to encourage fundamental values such for the associations 06 as solidarity, tolerance and respect. UEFA match To achieve our objective, UEFA and its members can rely on a competent, operations centre for committed administration, whose role is to implement the strategy of our president, club competitions 07 Executive Committee and member associations. As general secretary I will continue, Youth Olympic Games as I always have done, to lead by example, by being fully committed and by qualifying tournament 10 listening to a team whose solidarity, motivation and dedication to football I am FARE anti-racism committed to preserving and fostering. action week 11 If the fruit of failure often leaves a bitter taste of loneliness, success News from member can only be savoured as a team. Your contribution counts! associations 15 COVER Gianni Infantino Cédric Carrasso, the Girondins UEFA General Secretary de Bordeaux goalkeeper, repels a Bayern Munich attack, helping his team to qualify for the UEFA Champions League round of 16. Photo: Lang/AFP/Getty Images 02 uefadirect 12.09 UEFAdirect-92•E 17.11.2009 10:01 Page 3 General secretaries meet in Nyon FruitfulFruitful dialoguedialogue UEFA-Woods THE GENERAL SECRETARIES OF UEFA’S 53 MEMBER The need to protect young ASSOCIATIONS MET AT THE HOUSE OF EUROPEAN FOOTBALL footballers faced with the threat of being uprooted as a result of inter- IN NYON ON 27 AND 28 OCTOBER. national transfers inevitably led to discussion of youth training and The purpose of this gather- David Taylor, commented on UEFA’s measures to promote it, such as the ing, which is becoming a traditional recent restructuring, explaining the regulations on locally trained players. fixture in the UEFA calendar, was context and the factors that had In this context, the restrictions im- not only to inform the general secre- led to the creation of a new company, posed by European Union legislation taries about UEFA’s current activities in wholly owned by UEFA and of which were also considered. various fields, but also to hear their he was chief executive. This new This first part of the meeting ideas, comments and opinions, as well company would deal with commercial also included discussion of relations as give them a chance to share their matters, marketing, new technologies between football’s stakeholders, a thoughts and concerns with each and event management. subject that covered the Professional other. In short, a meeting devoted to Football Strategy Council as well as dialogue aimed at further strengthen- Good governance relations with supporters and recog- ing the unity and cohesion of Euro- and integrity nised supporters’ associations, and pean football. Under the banner of good social dialogue. Since UEFA’s activities are governance and the integrity of foot- Turning to matters of in- hugely wide-ranging, the agenda of ball, particular attention was paid to tegrity, the participants discussed this two-day meeting was extremely financial fair play and UEFA’s current UEFA’s new betting fraud detection full. efforts to promote equal opportunities system, which was being made After Gianni Infantino, UEFA’s in its club competitions, while at the available to all its member associa- new general secretary, had welcomed same time protecting the clubs’ stabil- tions in order to discourage any the participants, his predecessor, ity and long-term financial well-being. vague attempt at corruption. 03 UEFAdirect-92•E 17.11.2009 10:01 Page 4 Group Gianni discussions Infantino, allowed the UEFA everyone general to express secretary, their opinion. welcomes the guests. Competition-related issues and sponsorship. The use of agencies, Day will be celebrated all over Eu- Another part of the meeting deciding when to sell rights and cre- rope, grassroots football being in- was devoted to the organisation of ative ways of seeking new financial dispensable for the sport’s growing competitions, which is a major task resources were among the topics of popularity and durability. for UEFA and its member associations. debate. The participants discussed themes Forum for dialogue such as date clashes between domes- Wide-ranging review This wide-ranging review of tic and UEFA competitions, the new Day two kicked off with a the topical issues of European foot- entry lists for the UEFA Champions look at relations between UEFA and ball was particularly appreciated by League and UEFA Europa League, na- the national associations, including the participants because of the fact tional cup competitions and the par- discussion of the assistance and devel- that it did not take the form of a ticipation of their winners in the UEFA opment programmes offered by UEFA one-way information session, but competitions, as well as youth, to its member associations, such as provided a forum for dialogue that women’s competitions and cross-bor- the KISS programme for the sharing benefited the general secretaries as der competitions. of knowledge and expertise, the Top well as UEFA. The age limit for players in- Executive Programme (TEP) and the Group discussions, a funda- volved in the Olympic football tourna- HatTrick programme, which is now in mental tool used in many UEFA ment was also mentioned, along with its second period. seminars and conferences, once initial feedback from the experiment An awareness of the social again proved their usefulness and with two additional assistant referees responsibility of football is now deeply value by giving every participant an in the Europa League group matches, rooted in the minds of its leaders and, opportunity to contribute. “The dia- which was considered to be generally in this context, UEFA was able to pres- logue is always open. We always positive. ent its broad spectrum of activities, understand what UEFA expects As well as the sporting aspect ranging from the fight against racism from our side and I think that UEFA of competitions, the meeting dealt and all forms of discrimination to the understands the associations. Such with administrative and commercial is- promotion of a healthy lifestyle, sup- cooperation is like teamwork – foot- sues, ranging from an update on the port for disabled athletes and protec- ball is a team sport, we must work preparations for EURO 2012 and the tion of the environment. together. It’s not just one-way traf- state of progress in Poland and To conclude, the participants fic,“ concluded Janis Mezeckis, gen- Ukraine to commercial case law and marked in their diaries the date of eral secretary of the Latvian Football current trends in the fields of media 19 May 2010, when UEFA Grassroots Association. Photos: UEFA-Woods 04 uefadirect 12.09 UEFAdirect-92•E 17.11.2009 10:01 Page 5 TheThe meetingmeeting inin picturespictures Photos: UEFA-Woods 05 UEFAdirect-92•E 17.11.2009 10:01 Page 6 National association representatives hear about the measures proposed to ensure greater financial fair play. To this end, UEFA organised a meeting with club licensing experts Workshop in from all of its 53 member associations in Geneva on 12 and 13 October, to take stock of the current situation and tell them about the measures in the Geneva pipeline. Protecting the long-term After looking back at the last club licensing cycle – completed stability of football by 608 of the 730 top division clubs in Europe – the participants discussed HAVING BEEN LABELLED A UEFA PRIORITY ALONGSIDE financial fair play and the measures that will be incorporated into the THE PROTECTION OF YOUNG FOOTBALLERS, PREPARATIONS FOR EURO 2012 UEFA Club Licensing Regulations to AND THE CRACKDOWN ON BETTING-RELATED MATCH-FIXING, ensure the long-term financial health, THE QUEST FOR GREATER FINANCIAL FAIR PLAY IN UEFA CLUB COMPETITIONS and therefore lasting viability, of Euro- pean club football. HAS GOT OFF TO A PROMISING START. Balancing the books At the end of the summer, Brussels, the European Commissioner, For example, the participants the Club Licensing Committee, Club Jan Figel, was delighted by the pro- discussed how the principle of “no Competitions Committee and Profes- posals and the European Club Asso- overdue payables” – a criterion in the sional Football Strategy Council one ciation (ECA) also voiced its support existing club licensing system – should after the other gave their unanimous of UEFA’s new policy at its general be reinforced to prevent any late support to the financial fair play proj- meeting.