No. 176 HISTORY The brains behind the European calendar in Bratislava Associations assemble Associations 42nd Congress 42nd

THE TECHNICIAN Futsal EURO talking points

GOLDEN GIRLS GOLDEN Lithuanian grandmas go Lithuanian grandmas go for goal with #EqualGame

No.176 • April 2018 BIRTHDAYS, NOTICES, FORTHCOMING EVENTS

BIRTHDAYS NOTICES Elisabeth Derks (Netherlands, 2 April) Alexandru Burlac (Moldova, 21 April) • On 2 February, Ján Kováčik was Michael Sjöö (Sweden, 2 April) Tomislav Vlahović (Croatia, 21 April) re-elected as president of the Dejan Filipović (Serbia, 2 April) Jan Damgaard (Denmark, 22 April) Slovak Football Association. Kevin Azzopardi (Malta, 2 April) Morgan Norman (Sweden, 22 April) Marton Dinnyés (Hungary, 2 April) Rod Petrie (Scotland, 22 April) Kaj Østergaard (Denmark, 3 April) Volodymyr Petrov (, 22 April) • On 7 February, Armand Duka Martin Sturkenboom (Netherlands, 3 April) Claudine Brohet (Belgium, 22 April) was re-elected as president Dennis Cruise (, 3 April) İlker Yücesir (Turkey, 22 April) of the Albanian Football Yoav Strauss (Israel, 3 April) Roland Tis (Belgium, 23 April) Association. Emil Ubias (Czech Republic, 3 April) Mehmet Binnet (Turkey, 23 April) • Christian Kofoed (Denmark, 4 April) Prune Rocipon (France, 23 April) • On 10 February, Adilbek Eamon Naughton (Republic of Ireland, 4 April) Nebojša Ivković (Serbia, 24 April) Jaxybekov was elected as Alex Miescher (Switzerland, 4 April) 50th Sándor Piller (Hungary, 24 April) president of the Football Marco Casagrande (Finland, 4 April) Philippe Verbiest (Belgium, 25 April) Jan Ekstrand (Sweden, 5 April) Dany Ryser (Switzerland, 25 April) Federation of Kazakhstan. Momir Djurdjevac (Montenegro, 5 April) Kanysh Aubakirov (Kazakhstan, 25 April) Petteri Kari (Finland, 5 April) Salustia Chato Cipres (Andorra, 25 April) • On 16 February, Borislav Mihaylov Alexey Sorokin (Russia, 5 April) Nikolaos Bartzis (Greece, 25 April) was re-elected as president of Aleksandra Pejkovska (FYR Macedonia, 5 April) Thomas Einwaller (Austria, 25 April) the Bulgarian Football Union. Vencel Tóth (Hungary, 6 April) Valentin Velikov (Bulgaria, 25 April) 40th • Snježana Fočić (Croatia, 6 April) Lucilio Batista (Portugal, 26 April) • The new address of the Slovak László Szalai (Hungary, 6 April) 50th Yariv Teper (Israel, 26 April) Football Association is: Jim Fleeting (Scotland, 8 April) Marina Sbardella (Italy, 27 April) Tomášikova 30C Peter Hegyi (Hungary, 8 April) Edgar Steinborn (Germany, 27 April) Yevgeniy Stolitenko (Ukraine, 8 April) Frank Fontvielle (France, 27 April) 821 01 Bratislava, Slovakia Márton Esterházy (Hungary, 9 April) Yuriy Zapisotskiy (Ukraine, 28 April) Ladislav Svoboda (Czech Republic, 9 April) Gudmunder Ingi Jónsson (Iceland, 29 April) • The new address of the Zoran Petrović (Serbia, 10 April) Football Association of the Gordon Pate (Scotland, 10 April) FORTHCOMING EVENTS Czech Republic is: Panagiotis Tsarouchas (Greece, 10 April) Atletická 2474/8 Eduard Kindle (Liechtenstein, 10 April) 50th 169 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic Umberto Gandini (Italy, 11 April) Kristiaan Van Der Haegen (Belgium, 11 April) Meetings Pierre Dumarché (France, 11 April) 5 April, Burton-upon-Trent, England OBITUARY Viktoryia Marozava (Belarus, 11 April) European Under-17 Championship: Costakis Koutsokoumnis, a Rodger Gifford (Wales, 12 April) 70th final round draw Valeriu Ionita (Romania, 12 April) member of the FIFA Council and António José Fernandes Cardoso 6 April, Lithuania the president of the Cyprus Football (Portugal, 12 April) European Women’s Under-17 Championship: Association, passed away on 5 March Johan Verbist (Belgium, 13 April) final round draw aged 61. Since 2007, he had been first Paolo Piani (Italy, 13 April) 50th vice-chairman of the UEFA HatTrick Marcin Borski (Poland, 13 April) 13 April, Nyon Committee, having previously served Giovanni Spitaleri (Italy, 13 April) UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa as a member of the Licensed Match Edvinas Eimontas (Lithuania, 13 April) League: semi-final draws Agents Committee (1996–2006) Octavian Goga (Romania, 14 April) and of the Assistance Programmes Georgios Bikas (Greece, 15 April) 16 April, Nyon Erol Ersoy (Turkey, 15 April) Club Licensing Committee Committee (2001-07). Antonius van Eekelen (Netherlands, 15 April) Dušan Fitzel (Czech Republic, 15 April) 17 April, Nyon Anders Hubinette (Sweden, 15 April) Youth and Amateur Football Committee 5–10 April Manuel Enrique Mejuto González Women’s World Cup: European qualifying (Spain, 16 April) 19 April, Portugal matches Horst Hrubesch (Germany, 17 April) HatTrick Committee Charles Schaack (Luxembourg, 17 April) 20–22 April, Zaragoza, Spain Frances Smith (Republic of Ireland, 17 April) 20 April, Nyon UEFA Futsal Cup: finals Oğuz Sarvan (Turkey, 18 April) Fair Play and Social Responsibility Committee Alexander Remin (Belarus, 18 April) 20–23 April, Nyon Norman Darmanin Demajo (Malta, 19 April) 23 April, Nyon UEFA Youth League: final four Johan Timmermans (Belgium, 19 April) National Associations Committee Virgar Hvidbro (Faroe Islands, 19 April) 50th 21/22 and 28/29 April Elena Charina (Russia, 19 April) UEFA Women’s Champions League: semi-finals Jean-Luc Veuthey (Switzerland, 20 April) 60th Competitions Michael Argyrou (Cyprus, 20 April) 3/4 and 10/11 April 24/25 April Nenad Santrač (Serbia, 20 April) UEFA Champions League: quarter-finals UEFA Champions League: semi-finals (first legs) Marc Lesenfants (Belgium, 21 April) Vitor Pereira (Portugal, 21 April) 5 and 12 April 26 April Martinus van den Bekerom (Netherlands, 21 April) UEFA Europa League: quarter-finals UEFA Europa League: semi-finals (first legs)

UEFA DIRECT • April 2018 – 51 EDITORIAL

STRONGER TOGETHER

t is with great pride and satisfaction that Commission will of course also be an important I look back at the 42nd Ordinary UEFA ally in this battle, and I was very encouraged by ICongress in Bratislava. I feel a true spirit a meeting I had with the political authorities in of teamwork between us all as we work Brussels last month, when we signed a new together across the continent to protect, cooperation agreement. They seem genuinely promote and develop football. ready and willing to assist us in achieving our It is crucial to invest in the development common goals. of football and I believe the record increase in Finally, let us all remember that we are in a HatTrick funds will make a significant difference uniquely privileged position and have the power to the growth of the game in every single to shape the football of the future. Millions of football association in Europe. By sharing fans all over the world would give anything our revenues, we are also staying true to our to be in that position. We must not disappoint principles and recognising that solidarity and them or ourselves; we must lead by example the well-being of the grassroots game are and show cooperation and courage so that priorities for us all. football continues to be the most popular The increase in EURO prize money was also a and relevant sport on the planet. significant announcement which will guarantee that sporting success is rewarded and that national team football continues to blossom. On the topic of teamwork, we are continuing to open the door to our partners. As I said in Bratislava, isolationist policies are symptoms of weakness and it is through openness, sharing and dialogue that we will, all together, make the right decisions for the good of the game. I was very pleased to welcome the Association of European Professional Football Leagues Aleksander Čeferin (EPFL) onto our Executive Committee, because UEFA President it is by having the leagues and clubs at our side that we will rise to the challenges of tomorrow. And make no mistake, there are many challenges ahead – challenges we must not be afraid to face and overcome. It is together that we will improve competitive balance and ensure that financial fair play