Grassroots game celebrated across Europe

For the fifth year, UEFA Grassroots Day has been celebrated across Europe, with many of UEFA's 54 member associations arranging activities to underline the importance of football being open and accessible to everyone.

An annual highlight of the football calendar since it was created in 2010, UEFA Grassroots Day emphasises UEFA's commitment to the foundations of the game, while also relaying the important messages that elite football cannot flourish without healthy grassroots and that the game should be free for players of all ages and abilities to get involved in.

Although 21 May officially marked UEFA Grassroots Day, with a new maxi-pitch donated by European football's governing body to the UEFA Champions League final host city of Lisbon on this date, events were held throughout the month of May to celebrate the occasion.

One of the highlights of the activities organised in Romania took place in the county of Alba where around 200 youngsters of all ages participated in a football tournament, as well as various skills contests testing their dribbling, ball-juggling and penalty-taking ability. The children were also given diplomas and medals as mementos of the day.

In Malta, UEFA Grassroots Day was marked during the country's hosting of the UEFA European Under-17 Championship. The Maltese Youth Football Association, together with Special Olympics Malta, staged a series of unified matches before the first semi-final of the tournament, featuring players from the Special Olympics movement and Tarxien Rainbows Youth Nursery. At half-time, there was also a skills event with the players.

Montenegro was another country to host a successful event, with over 300 participants from local youth teams, schools and women's clubs coming to the city of Pljevlja, where a women's U15 tournament and a seven-a-side U10 competition were highlights.

"It was a great pleasure to be in Pljevlja," said Zoran Mijovic, head of the Football Federation of Montenegro (FSCG) grassroots programme. "A large number of kids, coaches, parents and football volunteers have come together to celebrate UEFA Grassroots Day in Montenegro."

A total of 27 events were held all over the Czech Republic, none bigger than in Nachod, where more than 500 children from local nurseries and primary schools were gathered. Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR) grassroots manager Michal Blažej said: "All sports at the moment have problems with the number of young players involved, but the organisation in Nachod shows how to make and promote football for children and parents and how to attract new players to clubs."

And in Scotland, highlights included the regional finals of the successful Midnight League project and 160 players taking part in the sixth edition of the Highland and Island Football Festival.