No. 165 MARCH 2017 OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE UNION OF EUROPEAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATIONS ON TOP OF THE GAME Referees gear up for the second half of the season No.165 • March 2017 • March No.165 MEET THE THE THE ROAD PRESIDENT TECHNICIAN TO CARDIFF Aleksander Čeferin talks Silvia Neid looks back on her The UEFA Women’s to UEFA Direct golden coaching career Champions League hots up www.uefafoundation.org EDITORIAL ADAPTING AND STAYING IN TUNE WITH THE TIMES ver the years, UEFA has been proud The introduction of a new and separate of its ability to keep pace with the ever women’s football unit will lend fresh impetus Oevolving European football landscape. to the development of this flourishing sector, The constant expansion of the game owing and an effective corporate governance and to financial, commercial, legal and political compliance framework is being put in place developments has seen our organisation with the establishment of a specialist team. transform itself from a purely administrative This means that, together with tried and body into a modern, versatile sporting and trusted areas of activity that have already business enterprise committed to staying in proved their worth, UEFA is laying the tune with the times. foundations to become increasingly proactive Certainly, time waits for no one in football in fulfilling its role of guiding and nurturing and, once again, UEFA is now recognising the European football. need to adapt and re-evaluate its structures As the evolution of UEFA continues, and strategies, to become even more far- our wish is for our organisation to be a model sighted in its outlook. The new era which of openness, transparency and innovation, began last autumn with Aleksander Čeferin’s with football’s overall well-being at the heart election as UEFA president has been the of its every act. We will never stand still, catalyst for invigorating ideas, plans and as we work with the aim of serving the measures that are now being implemented to beautiful game that we all cherish. give the body an enhanced dynamic and contemporary feel. Key visions in the president’s election manifesto are coming to fruition. In line with UEFA’s mission to safeguard football and its essential values, the creation of a ‘protection of the game’ section within our administration will lead to greater priority being given to security issues, club licensing and the crucial campaigns against match-fixing Theodore Theodoridis and doping. UEFA General Secretary UEFA DIRECT • March 2017 – 03 CONTENTS 06 UEFA UEFA 10 CONTENTS 6 Aleksander Čeferin 22 The Technician The UEFA president talks about how World, European and Olympic he got involved in football and about champion coach Silvia Neid talks his aspirations for the future of to The Technician. the game. 28 For the record Official publication of the Union of European 10 Executive Committee UEFA’s eighth club licensing Football Associations The Executive Committee convened benchmarking report highlights Chief editor: in Nyon for its first meeting of 2017. how financial fair play has turned Emmanuel Deconche around football finances. Deputy chief editor: 12 UEFA Women’s Dominique Maurer Champions League 30 Clubs share in EURO 2016 External contributors: The quarter-finals feature a rematch benefits Philip Röber (page 22) of last year’s final between Olympique In all, 641 clubs all over Europe Maryna Nezhyhai, FFU (page 33) Lyonnais and VfL Wolfsburg. received a share in €150m for Türker Tozar, TFF (page 38) releasing players for the 329 Production: 14 Women’s football matches in the 2014–16 European Touchline Football Championship. UEFA’s efforts to promote women Printing: in coaching are already paying off, Artgraphic Cavin CH-1422 Grandson as examples from FYR Macedonia 40 News from member and Hungary testify. Editorial deadline: associations 10 February 2017 16 Refereeing Cover photo: Europe’s referees met in Malaga Sportsfile for their annual winter courses. 04 – UEFA DIRECT • March 2017 THE TECHNICIANCONTENTS 12 Getty Images Getty Images 16 Sportsfile 22 UEFA DIRECT • March 2017 – 05 INTERVIEW “I WANT TO BRING THE FOOTBALL COMMUNITY TOGETHER” The new UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin looks back at his favourite football memories and sets out his blueprint for the future. hat is your first What was the first game My two favourite goals are the football memory? you ever attended? incredible volley Marco van Basten WI remember watching the 1978 I will never forget it. It was a World Cup scored against the USSR in the final World Cup final on TV. I was ten years qualifier between Yugoslavia and Denmark of EURO 1988 and the amazing goal old and have great memories of that in Ljubljana in 1980. That Yugoslavian Zinédine Zidane scored in the final of game between Argentina and the team was great and I really liked Safet the 2002 UEFA Champions League. Netherlands. I remember the full stadium, Sušić and Zlatko Vujović; they were Those are two really exquisite goals. all the little pieces of paper that the amazing players. It was funny because supporters threw onto the pitch – and I the stadium was completely overcrowded What has been your most remember Mario Kempes. What a player! – they had sold too many tickets – so memorable moment in football, I couldn’t really see the pitch most of as a fan or as president of the Did you follow football when the time … there were too many grown- Slovenian FA? you were younger and if so, ups in front of me. But it was an It has to be when Slovenia qualified for which team in particular? unforgettable experience! the 2010 World Cup. We beat Russia at Yes, definitely. All the time. I especially home 1-0 and were guaranteed a place followed Hajduk Split, who were one of Who is your favourite player in the tournament in South Africa. Zlatko the best teams in the former Yugoslavia and why? Dedić scored the winning goal in that in those days. I would have to say that my favourite play-off. It was a great day. player of all time is the Brazilian Ronaldo. What do you feel when What a phenomenon … his technique, Did you or do you play football? you enter a stadium? his physique, his natural raw talent. And if so, in what position? Going to a stadium is always a magical What an amazing player to watch. I have always played football, ever since experience for me. You can really feel He was simply the best. I was a kid. When I was in 11-a-side the electricity and excitement in the air teams, I normally played as a central when you are there. The sights and What is the most beautiful midfielder. Now I mostly play futsal sounds are really special. goal you have ever seen? with friends. 06 – UEFA DIRECT • March 2017 INTERVIEW UEFA INTERVIEW How did you become active “My favourite player of all in the Slovenian FA? time is the Brazilian Ronaldo. Well it’s an interesting story. In 2011 the What a phenomenon … then president of the Slovenian FA stepped his technique, his physique, down and I was approached to take over. his natural raw talent. What I was told the FA really wanted someone an amazing player to watch. who could come in and put some order into the organisation. They managed to He was simply the best.” persuade me to do it and the rest, as they say, is history. Tell us about your first days as A few years later you were UEFA president, your first trips. elected UEFA president in Athens. How did you feel? How did that feel? I felt great when I took office. Right after To be honest, the day of the Congress was I was elected, I spent a lot of time meeting a surreal experience for me. I had been so with many presidents and general busy the previous weeks, travelling to Getty Images secretaries of national associations, but meet so many people around Europe, that also with many other stakeholders such when I won the election, it didn’t sink in as directors of clubs, sponsors and so on, right away. It took a while for me to realise because we need to be united and we what I had achieved and it was only on need to be aligned in order to achieve my first day at the office in Nyon that our common goals and overcome all the I thought … “Wow. This really happened.” challenges. I would also like to say that, regarding the people who work at UEFA, I have been really pleased to see that so “I have always played many of the administrators and staff are football, ever since I was really enthusiastic about working to promote and protect our beautiful game. a kid. When I was in 11-a-side This makes me optimistic that we can do teams, I normally played great and positive things in the future. as a central midfielder. Now I mostly play futsal How can your experience at the with friends.” UEFA head of the Slovenian FA help you at UEFA? My role as president of the Slovenian Football Association gave me valuable knowledge and insights into how middle- sized and small national associations work. This was very important on the campaign trail and it is very important now as well, as I look across Europe and at all the different profiles of our national associations. I feel I understand them. What are your priorities as UEFA’s seventh president? I want to bring the football community together through dialogue, inclusion, solidarity and gender equality.