2.07 Including 31st UEFA Congress in Düsseldorf 03 UEFA Champions League resumes 08 Women’s football coaches forum 10 No 58 – February 2007 COVER IN THIS ISSUE UEFA Champions League In Düsseldorf, Michel Platini became first knock-out round 08 the sixth UEFA president and the second 31st UEFA Congress Women’s football coaches forum 10 Frenchman – and the second one to in Düsseldorf 03 The new face of the Meridian Cup 12 hail from the Lorraine region – to be elected to that position, the first having Media managers New headquarters for Ukrainian FA 15 been the late Jacques Georges. meet in Munich 07 News from member associations 16 PHOTO: UEFA-pjwoods.ch LookingEditorial ahead For football fans in Europe, 2007 looks like a “gap year” – the year be- tween the World Cup in Germany and EURO 2008, though someone who prefers club football does not experience the same lull, with the domestic league and cup competitions to follow and possibly the club’s campaign in one of UEFA’s competitions as well. For the leaders of the national associations and of UEFA, there is no such thing as a quiet period either. This year, for example, UEFA’s member associations first had the delicate task of deciding who UEFA’s president would be for the next four years. Just a few months later, in April, it will be up to the UEFA Executive Committee to decide where EURO 2012 will take place. 2007 is also likely to be a crucial time in relations between European football and the European Union. It will also be decisive for the club licensing system, not to mention for the future of the UEFA club competitions, with the Executive Committee required to draw conclusions from the vast study that has been undertaken among all stakeholders. On top of that, the marketing process for the next competition cycle will get under way, and numerous other activities will happen, such as the new-look Meridian Cup at the end of February, to name but one. So there will certainly be nothing calm about 2007, which, on the contrary, promises to be a more than busy year. Most of the decisions on the agenda will steer European football in a certain direction for the next few years, which may seem paradoxical at a time when it is harder than ever to predict what the future holds. However, it is only by looking ahead that we can stay in front and avert the risk of being overtaken. Lars-Christer Olsson Chief Executive we care about football UEFA-pjwoods.ch 02 uefadirect 2.07 31st UEFA Congress in Düsseldorf Michel??????????????????????????? Platini elected president UEFA-pjwoods.ch ON 25/26 JANUARY, THE 31ST ORDINARY UEFA CONGRESS TOOK PLACE His first gesture after being IN DÜSSELDORF, THOUGH IT WAS RATHER MORE OF AN EXTRAORDINARY EVENT elected UEFA president was to pay BY VIRTUE OF ITS DURATION – WITH THE FRIDAY SESSION LASTING FIVE AND tribute to his predecessor, Lennart A HALF HOURS – AND, MORE NOTABLY, BY THE MASSIVE MEDIA PRESENCE Johansson, by proposing to the con- gress that he be made honorary presi- TRIGGERED BY THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, WITH NO FEWER THAN 280 MEDIA dent of UEFA, a proposal that was REPRESENTATIVES ON THE SPOT. accepted by resounding acclamation. The delegates of UEFA’s 52 becomes the sixth president of UEFA, member associations – which were all following in the footsteps of Ebbe Three new members of the UEFA represented at the congress – were faced Schwartz (1954-62), Gustav Wiederkehr Executive Committee with the choice of either abiding by the (1962-72), Artemio Franchi (1973-83), As a new chapter in UEFA’s principle that you should never change a Jacques Georges (1984-90) and Lennart history unfurls, the composition of winning team or of giving fresh impetus Johansson (1990-2007). its Executive Committee also has a to the organisation by electing – for the Platini, 51, joined the UEFA slightly new look for the four years first time in UEFA’s history – a former top Executive Committee in 2002. The for- ahead. In the elections for six seats on player as its president. mer brilliant player and one-time nation- the committee that followed the The close result showed just al team coach has also been serving presidential elections, three new mem- how difficult that choice was, with the as vice-president of the French Football bers were voted in: Mircea Sandu, outgoing president, Lennart Johansson Federation and a member of the FIFA Gilberto Madaíl and Grigoriy Surkis, (Sweden) obtaining 23 votes, against 27 Executive Committee. He also played a the last two having been involved (two ballot papers were invalid) in favour key role in the 1998 World Cup organis- in the committee since 2004 as co- of Frenchman Michel Platini, who thus ing committee. opted members. 03 The congress centre in Düsseldorf. Guests from the other football confederations. It took only one ballot to elect: by acclamation. In the same way, Franz cial obligations, competition regulations Angel Maria Villar Llona (Spain), Beckenbauer (Germany) was elected and disciplinary measures. The main 42 votes; Senes Erzik (Turkey), 37 votes; member of the FIFA Executive Commit- purpose of the amendments was to Mircea Sandu (Romania), 32 votes; tee, again as the sole candidate. One embed the club licensing system in the Joseph Mifsud (Malta), 28 votes; Gilberto member’s seat still has to be filled, that statutes; to make it possible to deny Madaíl (Portugal), 27 votes; and Grigoriy vacated by Michel Platini on becoming admission to a competition to any asso- Surkis (Ukraine), 27 votes. a FIFA vice-president. In accordance with ciation or club directly or indirectly in- The unlucky candidates were the UEFA statutes, the UEFA Executive volved in any activity aimed at arrang- Frantisek Laurinec (Slovakia), 25 votes; Committee will decide who will fill ing or influencing the outcome of a outgoing members Eggert Magnusson that seat. match; to make it possible to withdraw (Iceland), 23 votes; and Giangiorgio a title or licence; to counter govern- Spiess (Switzerland), 20 votes; as well as Amendments to the statutes ment and court interference; and to im- Tomas Gea (Andorra), 12 votes. Since the UEFA statutes are to plement the recommendations of the Rakhat Aliyev (Kazakhstan), undergo a total revision before the 2008 Independent European Sport Review in Vlatko Markovic (Croatia) and Liutauras UEFA Congress in Kiev, at which they terms of consultation. A definition of Varanavicius (Lithuania) withdrew their will be voted on, only a strict minimum fair play has also been included. candidatures. of amendments were proposed to the It was also the job of the con- congress in Düsseldorf, all of which met Bigger European Championship gress to complete the line-up of UEFA with the delegates’ approval. The claus- final rounds? representatives on the FIFA Executive es in question concern articles 2, 3bis, 7, The proposal of the Scottish Committee. As UEFA president, Michel 9, 42, 50, 53 and 54, dealing, among FA, which was seconded by the football Platini automatically becomes a FIFA vice- other things, with the objectives of UEFA, associations of the Republic of Ireland, president. The remaining vacant vice- relationships with the stakeholders in Latvia and Sweden, to undertake a fea- president’s seat went to the only candi- European football, the rights and obliga- sibility study regarding the expansion of date and present office-holder, Angel tions of member associations, the sus- the European Football Championship Maria Villar Llona, who was re-elected pension of member associations, finan- final round to 24 participants met with THE NEW UEFA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. Seated, from left to right: Mathieu Sprengers, Geoffrey Thompson, Senes Erzik, Michel Platini, Per Ravn Omdal, Angel Maria Villar Llona, Lars-Christer Olsson. Standing: Mircea Sandu, Gilberto Madaíl, Grigoriy Surkis, Marios Lefkaritis, Viacheslav Koloskov, Joseph Mifsud, Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder. Missing from the photo: Franco Carraro. PHOTOS: UEFA-pjwoods.ch 04 uefadirect 2.07 53rd UEFA member association Some five years since the admission of Kazakhstan, UEFA welcomed another new member at the congress in Düssel- dorf, the football association of Mon- tenegro, which had been a provisional member since October, following the division of Serbia and Montenegro. UEFA membership was therefore a natural continuation for the Montene- grin association, headed by a former professional footballer, Dejan Savicevic, as it had previously been part of the old football association of Yugoslavia and then of the football association of A standing ovation for Lennart Johansson on being elected honorary president of UEFA. Serbia and Montenegro, and fulfilled all the conditions for full UEFA member- ship, which takes effect on 1 July. Honours and awards The UEFA Congress in Düsseldorf opened on the Thursday afternoon with addresses by the German minister of the interior, Wolfgang Schäuble, and the president of the German football association, Theo Zwanziger, as well as messages from the presidents of FIFA and UEFA, Joseph S. Blatter and Lennart Johansson. The first part of the annual meet- ing of UEFA’s member associations was Lennart Johansson and Michel Platini devoted mainly to paying tribute to greet Dejan Savicevic, president of the loyal servants of European football, football association of Montenegro. notably Jean Fournet-Fayard (France), The congress, however, rejected the who was made an honorary member membership application of the Gibraltar of UEFA. A former member of the Football Association, which had been UEFA Executive Committee who also admitted as a provisional member in spent nine years as president of the December following a decision of the French Football Federation, Jean Four- Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). net-Fayard also served for many years on UEFA’s Club Competitions Commit- the approval of the vast majority of tee.