Cooper leads Aigner tributes

The final edition of the uefa.com magazine for 2003 is dedicated to UEFA Chief Executive Gerhard Aigner, who is retiring after 34 years with the organisation. Keith Cooper, who is in charge of UEFA's Jubilee celebrations, has had a long relationship with Mr Aigner, first in his job with ISL marketing and latterly as FIFA's communications director. He led the tributes to one of the unheralded giants of European football.

By Keith Cooper

In preparing the commemorative book to mark UEFA's Golden Jubilee and in sorting through piles of old photographs from more or less momentous events over the past half-century, more than once I have come across images of a handsome, fair-haired, serious-looking young man in a UEFA blazer who looked more than vaguely familiar.

Integral figure
Gerd Aigner has been so much a part of the UEFA scenery for more than 30 years that it's not surprising to see his image crop up in various contexts: in refereeing circles from the very earliest days, from his leadership of the competitions department especially through the 70s and the difficult 80s, and of course, far more prominently, as General Secretary and more latterly CEO.

Dark times
The 1980s were no doubt the years that I worked with Gerd most intensively, as both the UEFA European Championship and the finals of the two major club competitions were upgraded to a modern era of promotion and marketing. The organisation of these top-level competitions in Europe made giant steps forwards in those years, and we enjoyed that progress immensely, but in the middle of it all there was also the dreadful experience of the Heysel stadium disaster, which cast a cloud that not even the intervening years could entirely dispel.

Realistic attitude
We shared the same ideals and a feeling for the importance of tradition and ethical standards of sport. It was not necessarily part of Gerd's natural inclination to encourage commercial exploitation of these competitions, but he was realistic enough to know that it had to be done in order to develop them and even to enable them to survive - and it had to be done well.

Key qualities
It was always clear that Gerd had not only the drive but, more importantly, the capability to rise to the top of the UEFA administration. Of the qualities that have not only taken him there but have enabled him to consolidate his reputation, there are two that are of special importance.

Personal integrity
First, an exceptionally high sense of integrity which, while it should perhaps be taken for granted in a person holding high public office, is sadly becoming ever rarer in a professional football environment increasingly vulnerable to the influence of financial extravagance. And secondly, a genuine affection for the game of football, not just at its highest level with all the accompanying hype but also - or maybe especially - at the grassroots level.

Love of football
This interest and attachment is not just because of the involvement of his sons in playing the game, but is the expression of an innate love for the sport that has never left him since childhood. These two qualities (among many others) form a combination that goes a long way to explaining why Gerd Aigner has made his own particular indelible mark on the history of European football.