WE CARE ABOUT FOOTBALL No. 132 | October 2013 IN THIS ISSUE Official publication of the Union des associations EXecutiVE COMMittee IN DubroVNIK 4 européennes de football Among various items on the agenda was a summary of the strategy meeting for the presidents and general secretaries of UEFA’s member associations, held in Dubrovnik Images Chief editor: ahead of the meeting of the Executive Committee itself. Getty André Vieli Produced by: Atema Communication SA, CH-1196 Gland COMParatiVE STUDY OF EuroPEAN Printing: club football 8 Artgraphic Cavin SA, The UEFA administration has published its benchmarking CH-1422 Grandson report on the 237 clubs competing in the 2013/14 UEFA club Images Editorial deadline: competitions. 4 October 2013 Getty The views expressed in signed articles are not necessarily the official views of UEFA. SafetY AND SecuritY IN VIENNA 10 The reproduction of articles published in UEFA·direct This year’s UEFA / EU Stadium and Security Conference is authorised, provided the highlighted the need to work together to overcome difficulties. source is indicated. UEFA NEWS froM MEMBER ASSociatioNS 14 Cover: EuroPEAN football UNITED Manuel Pasqual tries to get AGAINST raciSM 22 the better of Petr Čech in Italy’s 2-1 win against the Matchday three in the UEFA club competitions will Czech Republic in qualifying serve to spread the unequivocal message that racism for the 2014 FIFA World and discrimination have no place in the game. Cup. Together with the AFP Netherlands, Italy were the first to secure a ticket to Brazil. With the play-offs in November, the full European lineup will soon be decided. Photo: Getty Images 2 | UEFA•direct | 10.13 Editorial UEFA MEMBER ASSOCIATION DIALOGUE CRUCIAL FOR PROGRESS The recent Top Executive Programme (TEP) In addition, certain other proposals and rec- strategy meeting in Dubrovnik, Croatia, provided ommendations were submitted to the UEFA the latest opportunity for the presidents and Executive Committee, which held its own meet- general secretaries of UEFA’s 54 member associa- ing immediately after the TEP gathering. For tions to deal with the important sporting and instance, the request to retain the current date political matters which our sport continuously format of the European Under-21 Championship faces – and to make their case to the UEFA Exec- final tournament in odd years after 2015 was utive Committee. approved within 24 hours of the request being made! This is democracy at its finest… Although the member associations meet at the annual UEFA Congress, the TEP meetings We appreciate the input provided by the mem- take place in a completely different atmosphere, ber associations, especially where they make as they are working sessions which focus more proposals and take decisions for the benefit of on sharing ideas in order to shape proposals. European football as a whole. It is this vision, These debates and discussions are central in based on principles of unity and transparency, ensuring that the processes of good governance which allows us to strengthen and progress and transparency are maintained across UEFA’s European football for its long-term benefit. decision-making process. Normally, issues which affect the long-term evolution of UEFA’s competitions are discussed at committee stage before a final presentation ends on the UEFA Executive Committee’s table for a final decision. These issues take time to resolve, but, equally, the TEP meetings allow the Gianni Infantino associations to make best use of the time avail- UEFA General Secretary able, in order to propose changes and address more immediate operational issues. This TEP meeting came with a particularly packed agenda, and the talks were shaped by the desire of the UEFA member associations to further promote and develop senior national team competitions for the long term, but always keeping in mind the agreed international match calendar and the continued respect of the princi- ple of unity across all member associations. UEFA •direct | 10.13 | 3 Executive Committee STRONG INTEREST IN EURO 2020 With Michel Platini in the chair, the UEFA Executive Committee met for the first time since the elections held at the UEFA Congress in London in May. It was therefore the first meeting for Englishman David Gill and German Wolfgang Niersbach, who had replaced their compatriots Geoffrey Thompson and Theo Zwanziger. Getty Images The UEFA Executive Committee at its The Croatian city of Dubrovnik hosted the those of the FIFA World Cup and European Foot- meeting in Dubrovnik meeting on 19 September, following a strategy ball Championship qualifying competitions. The meeting for the presidents and general secretar- Executive Committee granted this request from ies of UEFA’s 54 member associations, organised the national associations, meaning that Under-21 under the banner of the Top Executive Pro- final rounds will continue to be held in odd years gramme (TEP). A report summarising this two- after 2015. The possibility of group winners qua- day strategy meeting kicked off the Executive lifying directly rather than via play-offs requires Committee’s discussions. further evaluation, as does the idea that the number of finalists should be increased. U21 final rounds to remain in odd years The future of the national team competitions No more cup runners-up in the UEFA beyond 2018 was among the items debated by Europa League the national associations’ top executives. It was In the club competitions, and more specifi- not a question of taking decisions, but rather of cally the UEFA Europa League, the question of giving some initial thought to how these compe- whether domestic cup runners-up should qualify titions might evolve, within the framework of if cup winners qualify for the UEFA Champions the approved international match calendar and League was once again debated. Most national in the general interest of the associations. The associations thought this rule should be changed only concrete outcome on this subject, which so that the place reserved for the domestic cup will continue to be analysed and discussed at winner would go to the best-placed club in the great length, was a request from the national league championship that had not already quali- associations that European Under-21 Champion- fied for a UEFA competition. This change should ship final rounds should continue to be held in come into force from the 2015/16 season. odd years. In January 2012, the Executive Com- The strategy meeting also tackled the subject mittee decided to revert to the previous system of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, with the of aligning the Under-21 match calendar with national associations unanimous that they were 4 | UEFA •direct | 10.13 not against the principle of the tournament being moved from June / July to a different time MEETING OF THE of year. STRATEGY COUNCIL The national associations also declared them- selves against the third-party ownership of play- ers, expressed support for UEFA’s cooperation Comprising representatives of the national with the other football confederations through associations, leagues, clubs and professional players, memorandums of understanding, and thought the UEFA Professional Football Strategy Council (PFSC) that the possibility of shortening the summer met on 19 September in Dubrovnik on the morning transfer window should be examined, although of the UEFA Executive Committee meeting. this subject fell under FIFA’s remit. Two places for Gibraltar An update was given on the strategy meeting of the presidents and gen- eral secretaries of UEFA’s member associations, as well on the progress made After this review of the various topics dis- by the PFSC working group on transfer matters. The transfer system will cussed at the strategy meeting, the Executive remain a topic of discussion at forthcoming meetings. Committee continued its meeting by taking note The locally trained player rule was discussed following the publication of of the different UEFA committees’ activities since a study on this rule commissioned by the European Union. Additional items its last meeting in London in May. Among other on the agenda were the calendar of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar and things, it noted the decision of the bureau of the European social dialogue. l Fair Play and Social Responsibility Committee to give the German and Czech football associations €150,000 each to help pay for repairs to club infrastructure damaged by floods in these coun- ship final tournament would be held in the Czech tries in June. Republic from 17 to 30 June 2015. Following the admission of the Gibraltar Foot- ball Association as a UEFA member, the Execu- Candidates for UEFA EURO 2020 tive Committee accepted the proposal of the By the 12 September deadline, 32 national Club Competitions Committee and decided associations had informed UEFA of their interest to allow Gibraltar to enter two clubs for the in hosting matches at UEFA EURO 2020, which UEFA competitions from the 2014 /15 season: its will be played in 13 European cities to mark the league champions for the UEFA Champions competition’s 60th anniversary. The UEFA Presi- League and its domestic cup winners for the dent, Michel Platini, who came up with the idea, UEFA Europa League. Both clubs will enter at the welcomed the enthusiastic response to his pro- first qualifying stage and the access list for the posal. The “EURO for Europe” is designed to UEFA club competitions will be amended accord- give national associations that would be unable ingly. to organise a whole tournament