UEFA Direct 197 – keeping pace with change
Tuesday, May 31, 2022
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UEFA’s official magazine reports on how European football continues to adapt to challenging times.
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The latest edition of UEFA Direct places special emphasis on crucial decisions and activities aimed at safeguarding football at a volatile moment of instability and insecurity across Europe and beyond.
UEFA General Secretary’s editorial: Staying ahead through solidarity
“The world has arguably experienced more change and disruption in the past two years than in the previous decade,” he writes.
“First, the pandemic turned our lives and economies upside down. Then, just when this crisis started to recede, the war in Ukraine sent shockwaves around the globe.”
The UEFA General Secretary highlights important measures implemented following the onset of war in Ukraine. These included the suspension of Russian teams from participation in European competitions until further notice; moves allowing foreign players to safely leave Ukraine; and close cooperation with the Football Federation of Ukraine enabling young female players from Ukraine to continue their career in other European leagues.
Turning to another significant topic, Theodoridis hails a major reform of UEFA’s financial fair play and club licensing regulations which takes into account the ten-year evolution of the European football industry and the need to keep building a more sustainable and stable future for the game.
“Outside of UEFA,” Theodoridis concludes, “few people appreciate that our organisation is, above all, a partnership that draws on the collective strength and knowledge of Europe’s 55 member associations.”
“In these shock-prone times,” he adds, “the pace of change is not about to slow. Thankfully, European football has a tried and tested platform for keeping ahead.”
Key focal points
• UEFA Direct analyses the first 16-team UEFA Futsal EURO finals in the Netherlands, and how the tournament represented a prominent landmark in the sport’s development – while overcoming obstacles created by the COVID pandemic into the bargain.
• With UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 in England fast approaching, we examine how the road to a European national-team women’s competition opened out over a ten-year period from the early 1970s.
• In the spotlight: UEFA launches a new long-term sustainability strategy centring on human rights and the environment
• The Technician, UEFA Direct’s coaching supplement, examines the rise of the specialist coach in preparing team performance.
Elsewhere in UEFA Direct 197:
• UEFA unveils its latest European club licensing benchmarking report
• The 2021/22 UEFA Grassroots Awards
• Supporting Europe’s national associations with brand management
• Canal 11: The Portuguese FA’s outstanding TV channel serving football and society
• News from UEFA’s 55 member associations
UEFA Direct 197 – essential reading for those who follow UEFA and European football…