11. 0 7 Including The eight UEFA Cup groups 03 Four years of club licensing 06 Coach education directors meet in London 11 Germany win the Women’s World Cup 14 No 58 – Février 2007 67 November Message Photos: UEFA-pjwoods.ch of the president Sporting competition and economic competition Under the pretext of moving with the times, is it necessary to draw a line under the past and its traditions and values? I don't think so; in fact, I am convinced that, in sport, we need to preserve the European model, with all the characteristics that distinguish it from sport as a business. More than ever before, sport is an important social factor, an incomparable tool for integration and an unrivalled conveyor of examples of fair play, team spirit, effort and solidarity. However, sport had to wait for the Nice Declaration before any mention was made of its specificity. And, since huge amounts of money are generated at the top of its pyramid structure, it is subject to laws designed for the economy and, when disputes arise, to the courts, just like any other economic activity. This situation may suit the most affluent, inasmuch as it enables them, through their financial resources, to protect a privileged position that should be based on sporting results alone. But sporting competition is not the same as economic competition. For a football club, the priority is not to increase its market share, but to win titles and IN THIS ISSUE trophies. Purely economic rules cannot therefore be applied, which is something we have been saying for years now. We have also repeatedly stated that sport does not Presenting the eight want and is not asking to live above the law, but simply that its specificity should be UEFA Cup groups 03 taken into account and that it should be given a clear and stable legal environment Four years of club licensing 06 in which it can manage its affairs with respect for the principles of democracy, transparency and the general interest. All stakeholders should be given a voice, Clubs and new media 08 as reflected in the Memorandum of Understanding that we recently signed with the European Futsal European division of FIFPro. Otherwise, how, for example, can we preserve the Championship in Porto 10 national and regional identity of clubs if all the measures proposed, such as the Coach education “6+5” rule, are considered solely from the point of view of freedom of movement? directors’ symposium 11 This is why in September I wrote to the European Union heads of government, since who is better placed than the elected representatives of the people to ensure Germany retain that the general interest prevails? The Ancient Greeks had the wisdom to give sport a women’s world title 14 special status by introducing the Olympic truce in the wars that were waged between News from member their cities. It is now up to our present-day governments to assign a special status to associations 17 sport within the economic competition that characterises our modern world. COVER Forty teams are involved in the Michel Platini group stage of the UEFA Cup, among them, Everton (James UEFA President McFadden, in blue) who qualified by beating Metalist Kharkov (Valentin Sliusar) from Ukraine. Photo: Pesnya/Epsilon/Getty Images 02 uefadirect 11.07 UEFA Cup: 40 ambitious teams StartStart ofof thethe groupgroup phasephase After losing the first leg of their first round tie, Galatasaray got their own back over FC Sion in the return leg in Istanbul. Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images Coffrini/AFP/Getty FROM 25 OCTOBER UNTIL 20 DECEMBER, 40 TEAMS WILL BE in the Bundesliga. But more than the BATTLING IT OUT IN THE GROUP PHASE FOR A PLACE IN THE LAST 32 Germans, it is perhaps Zenit St. Peters- OF THE UEFA CUP. THE TOP THREE IN EACH GROUP WILL JOIN burg who will have the final word in THE EIGHT TEAMS FINISHING THIRD IN THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Group A. The Russians are performing GROUPS IN THE ROUND OF 32 IN FEBRUARY. brilliantly in their national championship and brushed past Standard Liège in the With 24 of the 40 teams pro- Group A: AZ Alkmaar first round. As for the Greeks of Larissa, gressing to the round of 32, some fasci- with work to do who eliminated Blackburn Rovers, they nating encounters are in prospect. Although AZ Alkmaar, coached by a will be hoping at the very least to cause there are clear favourites in most of the certain Louis van Gaal, have reached this an upset or two. groups, none of them face an easy ride, stage of the competition for the fourth as previous editions have demonstrated, time running. The only Dutch side left in Group B: Atlético de Madrid confirming a fall in the number of what the competition will be trying to forget without Torres used to (but should no longer) be called their poor start in the national champ- Atletico Madrid, despite “small clubs”. Thanks to the glorious ionship by casting their minds back to losing Fernando Torres to Liverpool, will uncertainty of sport, we can look forward last season, when they reached the nonetheless be among the favourites to some fascinating and thrilling encoun- quarter-finals before being knocked out in Group B, along with Locomotive ters, along with a few surprises that are by Werder Bremen. However, Everton Moscow. Slightly behind the leaders in bound to spice up the competition along will be a tough nut to crack, even though their domestic league, the team cap- the way. During the group phase, each David Moyes‘ team will be without their tained by Diniyar Bilyaletdinov is still a team will play four matches, two at home international striker Andrew Johnson force to be reckoned with. But Panathi- and two away. Their ultimate goal is to for a while after his recent operation. naikos, with four Greek internationals in reach the final, to be played on 14 May FC Nuremberg will also harbour ambi- their squad, have no intention of play- 2008 at the City of Manchester Stadium. tions, if only to make up for a poor start ing second fiddle, just like Aberdeen, 03 Bulgaria’s Mlada Boleslav caused a surprise by beating Italy’s Palermo in the first round. Empics Sport/PA Photos Empics Sport/PA in Group C. Their closest rivals could well be Villarreal, who have also started the season well in Spain. Following the return of Juan Roman Riquelme, who Klamar/AFP/Getty Images had been loaned to Boca Juniors for five Greek side Larissa qualified at the expense months, the Spanish club has a world- of Blackburn Rovers. class playmaker back in its fold. His talent will not, on its own, be enough to thwart who knocked out the Ukrainians of the ambitions of AEK Athens, who have Dnipro in the last round. Jimmy Calder- made a superb start to their domestic wood‘s men might already have devel- league season and will be relying heavily oped a taste for more. The same is true on their Brazilian contingent. The of Copenhagen, who are full of confi- Czechs of Mlada Boleslav will be trying French championship and who owe dence, as demonstrated by their domi- to create a shock or two, as will the their place in the group phase to a 95th nation of the Danish championship and plucky Swedish team from Elfsborg. minute goal against CSKA Sofia, will their first round win over Lens. A victory have nothing to lose. Similarly, FC Zurich not to be sniffed at! Group D: a very open battle will try to maintain their good form Having brought back several in the Swiss league and prove that their Group C: two-horse race between players who had been “exiled” in Ger- Fiorentina and Villarreal? many, such as Streller, Huggel and David Group A Group B Among the pacesetters in Italy, Degen, Basel have clearly set out their AZ Alkmaar Club Atlético de Madrid Fiorentina – who will have to do with- stall. But will their Bundesliga experi- Larissa FC Aberdeen FC out the services of Argentinean winger ence be enough to worry SV Hamburg? 1. FC Nürnberg FC København Mario Alberto Santana for several weeks Nothing is less certain, although the Everton FC Panathinaikos FC – are expected to play a prominent role Germans, who are faring much better FC Zenit St. Petersburg FC Lokomotiv Moskva than last season, cannot be sure of an easy passage in this very well-balanced Group C Group D group. Stade Rennais, at the top end of Zander Diamond AEK Athens FC Hamburger SV the French championship with Sylvain (Aberdeen) ACF Fiorentina Stade Rennais FC outjumps his Wiltord up front, will also be hopeful of opponent FK Mladá Boleslav NK Dinamo Zagreb Andriy Rusol qualifying. The Croatians of Dinamo (Dnipropetrovsk, Villarreal CF FC Basel 1893 Ukraine) in a Zagreb, who are running away with their tie that saw the domestic title, are also in contention. IF Elfsborg SK Brann Scottish side And Brann Bergen, undisputed leader through to the Group E Group F next round. of the Norwegian championship, could also have a surprise or two up their FC Zürich SC Braga sleeves. Toulouse FC FC Bayern München FC Spartak Moskva Aris Thessaloniki FC Group E: as clear as mud Bayer 04 Leverkusen FK Crvena Zvezda In Group E, the situation looks AC Sparta Praha Bolton Wanderers FC as clear as mud. Bayer Leverkusen are highly rated, but the team coached by Group G Group H Michael Skibbe could see their inten- Getafe CF Panionios GSS tions thwarted by four top-class oppo- Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC Galatasaray SK nents.