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UEFA ORGANISATION: European football the winner

/noticias.info/ The strength of a family lies in its unity and solidarity, even amid the hardest of times. Recently, the European football family has been able to achieve a new level of unity and solidarity, to bring a welcome end to a long and painful period of turbulence and uncertainty.

Compromise and dialogue
Over the course of several months, UEFA – in its role as the governing body of the European game – and the various stakeholders who contribute to making football the most popular sport in the world, have worked tirelessly together in a spirit of compromise and dialogue to launch a new era of harmony and mutual respect that is essential for European football's long-term well-being. Teamwork, such a crucial factor in sporting success, has come to the fore.

Associations central
The key relationship between UEFA and its 53 member national associations has been reinforced as a result of statutory changes approved at last year's extraordinary UEFA Congress in Zurich. The national associations are back at the heart of European football's decision-making process. Representatives of each country play a full and active role in the UEFA committees which examine the broad palette of issues that make up the game on this continent.

Ending quarrels
The essence of the work undertaken in recent months has been to gather the football family together, and to put a stop to the misunderstandings and quarrels that had threatened to tear football apart. An important factor was the national associations' approval in Zurich of the creation of the Professional Football Strategy Council, bringing together, within the framework of the UEFA structure, UEFA, national associations, leagues, clubs and players' representatives to discuss European football matters. This new platform for dialogue and exchange has been vital in the steps towards restoring a sense of harmony in our game.

Equal conditions
An agreement with the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL), was already in place. There was thus a need to create equal conditions for other stakeholders, and firstly, a Memorandum of Understanding was concluded last October by UEFA and the European professional players' union FIFPro, which integrates the actors on the field into the football family's decision-making mechanisms. (Click here for more details)

Conflict resolved
In the wake of these two developments, it remained for UEFA and Europe's major clubs to seek ways of ending the conflict that had simmered unhealthily for several years, and which posed a considerable danger to football's stability. UEFA urged the dissolution of an elitist grouping of major clubs, the G14, for a more democratic set-up, with a firm promise of open and productive dialogue. Thanks to fruitful and honest discussions within the Professional Football Strategy Council, and as a result of the willingness of the clubs to join this dialogue, together with the invaluable help of the world governing body FIFA, it has been possible to lay the foundations for a fresh start.

ECA heralds new dawn
In January, a new body, the European Club Association (ECA) was formed, and a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the body, representing the interests of clubs at European level, and UEFA heralded a new dawn in the game. (Click here for more details). The accord also brings recognition of national teams, and recognition of the leading roles of UEFA and FIFA in European and world football respectively. Respect and common sense have prevailed over confrontation.

Solidarity payment
As part of January's Memorandum of Understanding, among other things, it was agreed to distribute, every four years, a solidarity payment from the UEFA European Championship to national associations for them to pass on to their clubs who have contributed to the successful staging of a European Championship. The principle of the release of players for national teams – long a matter of dispute – has been reinforced, and national teams are now better protected. The threat of closed leagues or similar breakaway leagues has also been brought to an end.

Specific nature
Dialogue within the football family has gone hand in hand with dialogue with the European political authorities, with UEFA seeking to defend football's interests while respecting European law. Sport cannot be above the law, but a legal framework must exist to cater for sport's specific nature. Intensive lobbying and legal arguments are gradually bearing fruit. The new European Reform Treaty recognises sport's specificity for the first time, though it remains to be seen what practical impact this will have. A Franco-Dutch government initiative has emphasised the need to respect the legitimate autonomy of sports federations, so that sports bodies do not risk a challenge in court every time they take a decision. The Council of Europe has adopted a resolution supporting the European sports model based on solidarity, openness and integrity of competitions. All of these developments provide hope for the future as far as European football and its status within the European political and legal environment are concerned.

UEFA Champions League access
Unanimous support from the UEFA Executive Committee has brought significant changes to the access list for the UEFA Champions League (click here for more details). From 2009, more domestic champion clubs – representing more national associations – will compete in the group stage. It means that more countries who have contributed to the annals of football history will see their clubs aiming for glory and success in European club football's blue-riband competition.

Beautiful game
It would be wrong, however, to paint an exaggeratedly rosy picture of the European football landscape. UEFA and the football family must continue their unstinting campaign to eliminate negative phenomena such as racism, xenophobia, violence, illegal betting, money laundering and unscrupulous agents. Football must remain the most beautiful game, open to people of all ages, a vehicle for unity, and a game in which the winning of trophies, and the thrill of participation, win out over purely financial interests. Football must also have a firm social conscience, and UEFA continues to assume this role in various areas for the benefit of health and social cohesion. (Click here for more details)

Heartening developments
As we look forward eagerly to UEFA EURO 2008™ in Austria and Switzerland this summer in particular, it is pleasing to reflect that in recent times, many things have changed for the better within the European game. Common sense and the readiness to talk, 'meet halfway' and resolve long-standing arguments have led to agreements and new departures that might have seemed unthinkable a short while ago. The ties and respect that bind any family together have been reinforced. The European football family's unity and sense of common purpose is stronger now than for some while. Given the many heartening developments that have taken place, football itself can be the only winner. notas_de_prensa_archivo