WE CARE ABOUT FOOTBALL No. 151 | September 2015 IN THIS ISSUE Official publication of the SEASON KICK-OFF IN MONaco 4 Union of European Football Associations The 2015/16 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League group stage draws were performed in Monaco on 27 and 28 August. Chief editor: Emmanuel Deconche UEFA Produced by: GraphicTouch CH-1110 Morges CÉLIA ŠAŠIC´ AND LIONEL MESSI Printing: NAMED BEST PLAYERS IN EuroPE 6 Artgraphic Cavin SA At the UEFA Champions League group stage draw, specialist CH-1422 Grandson journalists voted Célia Šašić and Lionel Messi the best players Editorial deadline: in Europe in 2014/15. 7 September 2015 UEFA The views expressed in signed articles are not necessarily the official views of UEFA. FC BarceloNA LIFT UEFA SUPER CUP 8 The reproduction of articles Images published in UEFA·direct The Catalans got the better of Sevilla FC on 11 August in Tbilisi, is authorised, provided the taking their UEFA Super Cup tally to five. Getty source is indicated. via UEFA REFEREES IN NYON IN PREParatioN for THE NEW SEASON 12 Over 100 elite and category one referees spent three days at Colovray sports centre in Nyon in mid-August to prepare for the new season. Additional assistant referees also took part. UEFA ELITE club coacHES Get toGetHER at UEFA HQ 13 Cover: The coaches of some of the most prestigious clubs Andrés Iniesta lifts the UEFA in Europe came to the House of European Football Super Cup in Tbilisi after for this year’s get-together. FC Barcelona’s fifth win UEFA Photo: Getty Images NEWS from MEMBER ASSociatioNS 16 2 | UEFA •direct | 09.15 Editorial UEFA A DecaDE OF DialoGUE AND ProGRESS Can you believe that it has been ten years associations because that is what makes us since the UEFA Top Executive Programme (TEP) strong and that is what guarantees that decisions was created? They say time flies when you are are reached in a diplomatic and consensual having fun and that certainly applies to the manner. decade of dialogue that we have had together. One final note about the role of football in There is no doubt in my mind that over the society, as we take stock of the dramatic stories years TEP meetings have been a crucial tool of many thousands of war refugees in Europe for developing football in Europe, both on and this past summer: UEFA remains committed to off the field. They have provided the UEFA making contributions in times of distress, and administration with an invaluable opportunity to the work done since 2013 at the Zaatari refugee listen to all national associations and to strengthen camp in Jordan – now through the UEFA Founda- the unity of the continent in all football matters. tion for Children – is proof of that. Whenever These meetings have also proven that, for UEFA, and wherever we feel we can help, we will do all nations have a voice, no matter their size or our best to aid those in need. football pedigree. As I look back at some of the historic decisions that were initiated and facilitated by the TEP, I cannot help but feel proud of what we have achieved together. We enlarged the European Football Championship finals to 24 teams, centralised media rights for national team Michel Platini qualifying matches, decided to host UEFA EURO UEFA President 2020 across Europe and created the new UEFA Nations League. The hours that we have spent informally engaging in open discussion about your needs and desires have always paid off, and they always will. UEFA will stay true to its principles of cooperating and collaborating with the national UEFA •direct | 09.15 | 3 Club competitions ‘OLD-TIMERS’ AND WIDE-EYED NEWCOMERS At the end of every August, Monaco is the setting for the draws for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League group stages. The two events attract massive interest, not only from the clubs involved, but also from millions of fans looking forward to savouring the season’s entertainment. ‘Old-timers’ and past winners, fully accustom - UEFA Champions League is the competition that ed to the rarefied European limelight, are joined all the stars want to play in, and why [the] unique in the draws by wide-eyed newcomers who trophy is the one that all stars want to hold.” are eager to make their mark and give their He also highlighted the competition’s massive supporters a memorable adventure in the global reach, giving particular emphasis to months that follow. this year’s thrilling final between Juventus and The 2015/16 draws in the Mediterranean FC Barcelona in Berlin in June. “The match principality were no different. Alongside nine reached over 400 million TV viewers worldwide, previous winners in the 32-team UEFA Cham- in over 200 territories, confirming its status as pions League line-up, FC Astana are the first club the world’s most watched annual sporting event. from Kazakhstan to reach the group stage. As you can see, the fans are really passionate They are accompanied by two other debutants about the UEFA Champions League.” in Belgian outfit KAA Gent and Germany’s Two Italian stars of the recent past came VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach. The UEFA together to assist with the UEFA Champions League draw in their role as ambas- sadors for the 2015/16 final, to be staged at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan on 28 May next year. AC Milan and FC Internazionale Milano both play at the venerable San Siro, and Milan legend Paolo Maldini and Inter great Javier Zanetti joined forces in Monaco to help decide the destinies of the group stage teams. Through their fifth success, Barce- lona have joined an elite group of clubs allowed to wear a ‘badge of honour’ on their shirts, and club legends played their full part in the draw proceedings. Midfielder Andrés Iniesta carried the trophy he has won four times onto the stage, and former players Andoni Zubizar reta, Carles Puyol, Juliano Belletti and Eric Abidal – themselves all European Cup winners with Barça – helped to make UEFA the draw. The media demonstrated their own insatiable appetite for the UEFA Europa League group stage will be graced for Cham pions League. A total of 200 journalists the first time by FC Augsburg (Germany), Os from 54 countries (media and non-rights Belenenses (Portugal), FC Groningen (Nether- holders) came to Monaco to cover the draw, lands), AS Monaco FC (France), FC Midtjylland with the United Kingdom (32), France (29) and (Denmark), Qäbälä FK (Azerbaijan), FC Sion Italy (25) providing the lion’s share of the (Switzerland) and KF Skënderbeu – Albania’s first representatives. representatives at this stage. Fascinating groups Sharing the passion The draw itself has thrown up some fasci n- UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino ating groups to follow this autumn. A mouth- reflected the views of everyone who shares the watering Group D, for example, brings together passion of the UEFA Champions League. “We last season’s runners-up Juventus, 2014 and will see spectacular goals, wonderful individual 2015 UEFA Europa League winners Sevilla FC, displays, gripping moments of drama,” he said. English Premiership frontrunners Manchester “All of which will serve to remind us why the City FC and solid German newcomers 4 | UEFA •direct | 09.15 Mönchengladbach. In Group A, ten-time winners Real Madrid CF encounter fancied Frenchmen MILAN AND BASEL to HOST 2015/16 FINALS Paris Saint-Germain, whose Swedish sharpshooter Zlatan Ibrahimović will relish an emotional return All roads in the 2015/16 UEFA club competitions will lead to Milan, to his home-town club Malmö FF, where he Italy, and Basel, Switzerland, for the two finals next spring. began his career. The Group F field features old On 28 May next year, Milan’s Stadio Giuseppe Meazza will host foes in FC Bayern München and Arsenal FC – the the UEFA Champions League final. The arena, opened in 1926, is Bavarian giants eliminated the London club in the home to both AC Milan and FC Internazionale Milano, and staged round of 16 in both 2012/13 and 2013/14. previous finals of European club football’s blue-riband competition in 1965, 1970 and 2001. It also hosted matches at the EURO in 1980 Chelsea FC coach José Mourinho will go back and the 1990 World Cup. to Portugal in Group G to face FC Porto, with whom he won the UEFA Champions League in The St. Jakob-Park in Basel, home to FC Basel 1893, will stage the 2004. Holders Barcelona take on Bayer 04 UEFA Europa League final on 18 May 2016. The previous stadium Leverkusen, AS Roma and FC BATE Borisov in on the current site was the setting for the European Cup Winners’ a fascinating Group E. In Group C, Astana’s UEFA Cup finals in 1969, 1975, 1979 and 1984, and the new venue, Champions League baptism sees them pitted opened in 2001, hosted six matches at EURO 2008. l against three daunting rivals in twice-winners SL Benfica, 2014 finalists Club Atlético de Madrid and Turkey’s redoubtable Galatasaray SK. in Russians FC Zenit, experienced Spaniards Valencia CF and French competition veterans Olympique Lyonnais. In contrast to the three ‘new boys’, Barcelona, Manchester United FC, Porto and Real Madrid have seen it all before. They are making their 20th group stage appearances. Madrid hold records for most group stage points (244), goals (269) and most qualifications from the group stage (19), while 133 clubs in total have made it to the group stage. Barcelona ace Lionel Messi leads the group stage goalscoring list (44).