No. 142 | October 2014 IN THIS ISSUE Official publication of the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING Union of European Football IN NYON AND GENEVA Associations 4 The UEFA Executive Committee met on 18 and 19 September to select the venues for the club competition finals in 2016 and Chief editor: the 13 associations that will host UEFA EURO 2020 matches. Emmanuel Deconche via Getty Images UEFA Produced by: PAO graphique, CH-1110 Morges RESPECT DIVERSITY CONFERENCE IN ROME Printing: 6 Artgraphic Cavin SA, The participants at this two-day conference discussed the CH-1422 Grandson progress made in recent years while stressing the importance Editorial deadline: of redoubling efforts in education and other anti-discrimination 3 October 2014 initiatives. via Getty Images UEFA The views expressed in signed articles are not necessarily the official views of UEFA. SAFETY AND SECURITY CONFERENCE The reproduction of articles IN VIENNA 8 published in UEFA·direct is authorised, provided the The 13th annual UEFA-EU Stadium and Security Conference enabled source is indicated. everyone involved in security in European football to meet and share experiences, working together on issues of common interest. UEFA NATIONAL TEAM COACHES CONFERENCE IN ST PETERSBURG 9 The FIFA-UEFA conference for national coaches and technical directors was a great opportunity to analyse and discuss the technical aspects of the World Cup in Brazil. UEFA via Getty Images UEFA Cover: England’s Danny Welbeck in action against Switzerland on 8 September, in one of the first qualifiers for UEFA NEWS FROM MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS 15 EURO 2016. Thanks to the new ‘week of football’ concept, fans can follow even more of the action. Photo: Getty Images 2 | UEFA •direct | 10.14 Editorial UEFA MORE THAN JUST A COMPETITION On 19 September Geneva provided the setting More than just a competition, UEFA EURO for the biggest tournament announ cement in 2020 also supports a philosophy. The bidding UEFA’s 60-year history, as the final round of the and voting process was transparent and the UEFA European Football Champion ship prepares public were kept informed every step of the way, to become a pan-European experience for the with the bid evaluation reports and information first time, with 13 cities across the continent about the voting procedure published for all to hosting a festival of football in June / July 2020. see. The decision-making process had to be as The tournament will be the culmination of a transparent as the tournament concept was range of innovations and improvements aimed at rock-solid. strengthening the position of national team football in the hearts and minds of football fans. It was also important that the tournament was taken to all four corners of the continent, The first of those innovations has been the and this was reflected in the votes of the UEFA introduction of the European Qualifiers for the Executive Committee. Of the 13 venues selected, newly expanded UEFA EURO and the FIFA World eight have never hosted a match in the final Cup, including the centralisation of the media round of a UEFA European Football Champion- rights for those matches, which has resulted in ship. For those eight national teams, there is no the launch of the ‘week of football’ concept for greater incentive than this. And with 12 venues international matchweeks. The early results of each hosting four final round matches, fans in this initiative have been highly encouraging. Not those 12 countries will have the opportunity to only have UEFA’s member associations backed see their national team play at least two matches the new concept, but sponsors, broadcasters on home soil – provided they qualify, of course. and – crucially – the fans have also embraced the This pan-European carnival of football will end idea. with football coming home to London once again, with Wembley Stadium playing host to The spirit of innovation does not end there. both the semi-finals and the final. Following the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the inaugural UEFA Nations League will get under way. This This is unquestionably a EURO for Europe – a new national team competition will involve both EURO for football lovers across the continent – promotion and relegation and be an opportunity and a fitting way for UEFA’s premium national for teams to test themselves against opponents team competition to celebrate its 60th anniver- of similar stature. It will replace meaningless sary. friendlies with meaningful matches, without any need to add extra dates to the international calendar. At the end of the road, UEFA EURO 2020 awaits. Thirteen host cities – from St Petersburg in the north to Rome in the south, and from Gianni Infantino Dublin in the west to Baku in the east – will UEFA General Secretary ensure that this final tournament is a fantastic experience for all concerned. UEFA has awarded this EURO to Europe as a whole, and our member associations have responded in kind. UEFA •direct | 10.14 | 3 Executive Committee CLUB FINALS AND YOUTH LEAGUE PLANS The choice of venue for UEFA’s club competition finals in 2016, a new format for the UEFA Youth League and changes to the procedure in the event of a player suffering concussion were key items on the agenda for the UEFA Executive Committee’s latest meeting in Nyon on 18 September. A busy meeting at the House of European these matches qualifying for the round of 16 Football produced the appointment of the three together with the eight group winners of the venues for the major club competition climaxes UEFA Champions League path. A single-leg in two years’ time. The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza knockout competition will then follow, with the in Milan, Italy, will host the UEFA Champions last four teams playing a final tournament. League final on 28 May 2016; the St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland, will stage the UEFA Europa New procedure for dealing League final on 18 May 2016; and the Lerkendal with concussion Stadion in Trondheim, Norway, is the venue for Concussion has become a global topic for the UEFA Super Cup match on 9 August 2016. discussion in recent times. Consequently, the Following an excellent inaugural season, the Executive Committee gave the green light to a UEFA Executive Committee also confirmed that new procedure for dealing with concussion that the UEFA Youth League – the competition which will come into force immediately in UEFA’s features the stars of the future – will stay as a competitions. If a player has suspected concussion, permanent competition, but will have a different the referee will stop the game for up to three format from the 2015/16 season, and the number minutes, to allow the team doctor to assess the of teams competing will be increased from 32 to player’s condition. A player will only be allowed 64. Under the new format, the UEFA Champions to continue playing if the team doctor specifically League path remains with the same format and confirms to the referee that the player is fit system as now, and a parallel path for the enough to carry on. domestic youth champions is added. The domestic The efficiency of UEFA’s anti-doping programme youth champions of the 32 best-ranked asso- is being boosted by the introduction of steroid ciations in the UEFA club coefficient rankings are profiling. The Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), given access to this path. These teams will play an anti-doping tool and deterrent, was ratified two home-and-away qualifying rounds. Eight by the committee for implementation in the St. Jakob-Park in Basel, teams will then contest a single-leg play-off 2015/16 UEFA Champions League season. Conse- the venue for the against the eight runners-up of the UEFA quently, as an example, doping that does not UEFA Europa League Champions League path, with the winners of show up in typical doping controls could be final in 2016 detected as changes in a player’s biological profile. The Executive Committee ratified a code of conduct on integrity, signed by UEFA, the European Club Association (ECA), the Association of European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) and the players’ union FIFPro Division Europe. The code gives guiding principles for players, referees, clubs and officials on issues surrounding the integrity of football. The Executive Committee also welcomed the opening for signature of the Council of Europe’s new convention on the manipulation of sports competitions, which took place on 18 September in Macolin, Switzerland. European sports ministers discussed measures designed to prevent, detect and punish sports competition manipulation under criminal law and disciplinary provi- sions, and to strengthen cooperation Getty Images / between public authorities, sports AFP bodies and sports betting operators. l 4 | UEFA •direct | 10.14 EURO 2020: HOST CITIES UNVEILED On 19 September, in Geneva, the UEFA Executive Committee selected the 13 national associations that will stage UEFA EURO 2020 – a celebration of football across Europe to mark the 60th anniversary of the first European Football Championship. England will host the semi-finals and the final at London’s Wembley Stadium, while the other 12 host associations (selected from 19 bids) are as follows: Azerbaijan (Baku) – three group matches and one quarter-final Belgium (Brussels) – three group matches and one round of 16 game Denmark (Copenhagen) – three group matches and one round of 16 game viaGetty Images UEFA Germany (Munich) – three group matches and one The 13 cities that will host UEFA EURO 2020 were announced on quarter-final 19 September at a ceremony in Geneva Hungary (Budapest) – three group matches and one round of 16 game Italy (Rome) – three group matches and one quarter-final In December 2012, the Executive Committee decided at Netherlands (Amsterdam) – three group matches and a meeting in Lausanne that it would organise a ‘EURO one round of 16 game for Europe’ in 2020, instead of a tournament based in Republic of Ireland (Dublin) – three group matches and just one or two host countries.