UEFA's sporting bond with home town Nyon
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
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UEFA has been based in the western Swiss town of Nyon since the mid-1990s, and has established a close relationship with the local sports community through the Foundation for the Development of Sport in Nyon.
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The foundation, founded in 2000 and entirely financed by UEFA, has awarded grants for 2022 totalling 51,400 Swiss francs (CHF) to five sports clubs/associations based in the town.
The grants, which were presented at a ceremony at UEFA’s House of European Football in Nyon on Tuesday, aim to help the five recipients achieve important goals and further develop their activities, facilities and installations.
The recipients of the 2022 grants:
• Club Alpin Suisse, section Nyon (winter sports activities): CHF 20,000;
• GymNyon (gymnastics): CHF 6,600;
• Swiss Disabled Sailing: CHF 10,000;
• Handball Club Nyon: CHF 2,500;
• Tennis Club Nyon: CHF 15,000.
UEFA and Nyon
Nyon, which has a population of over 22,000, is located on the shores of Lake Geneva, 25 kilometres from Geneva. The town has a flourishing sporting scene comprising 73 sports associations with 8,500 members, including 4,500 young people under the age of 20.
UEFA moved to Nyon from the Swiss federal capital Berne in 1995, working from temporary offices for a four-year period while its new headquarters, the House of European Football, were being built. The new premises were inaugurated in October 1999.
Around 800 staff currently work in a variety of capacities in the service of European football at UEFA’s three-building campus on the outskirts of Nyon.
Foundation for the Development of Sport in Nyon
The Foundation for the Development of Sport in Nyon was created in recognition of the town’s contribution in helping UEFA settle easily in the region.
Financial support provided by the foundation aims to encourage local people, especially youngsters, to practise a sport.
It also seeks to improve and develop the town’s sporting facilities and infrastructures, provide specialist equipment for Nyon’s sports associations, and give individual help to elite athletes living in the town to prepare for national and international competitions.
A board is responsible for the foundation's management. It currently comprises the mayor of Nyon, Daniel Rossellat – who chairs the board – the Nyon municipal official responsible for sport, Alexandre Démétriadès, and UEFA’s services and management director Stéphane Igolen.
‘Crucial role’
“The Foundation for the Development of Sport in Nyon has played a crucial role in UEFA’s fruitful partnership with its home town,” said UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.
“We are delighted that so many clubs, associations and individuals in Nyon fulfil cherished sporting goals and dreams as a result of this initiative.
“Through the foundation, UEFA has been able to give something back to Nyon in return for the assistance and support that the town has provided to our organisation over the years. It is entirely fitting that sport has enabled us to show our thanks."
“I feel very lucky to be able to chair this foundation,” said Daniel Rossellat. “Since 2002, we have been able to support 119 projects with grants totalling 1.6 million Swiss francs.”
“Our town is fortunate to be able to count on the foundation set up by UEFA, and we’re lucky to have such sporting diversity here – it demonstrates the vitality of sport in Nyon.”
Colovray sports complex
Nyon proudly boasts many excellent sporting installations – including the Colovray sports centre located opposite UEFA’s House of European Football.
In 2010, under an agreement with the Nyon municipal authorities, UEFA took over the management of the Colovray complex, which comprises a 4,000-capacity main football stadium, several other grass and artificial turf pitches, track and field facilities, fitness training facilities and a restaurant.
The main football stadium, home to Swiss third-tier club FC Stade Nyonnais, hosts the UEFA Youth League finals every year – a popular attraction for local football fans – and has also staged European national team youth competition tournaments and finals. Top club and national teams have made full use over the years of Colovray’s facilities for pre-season training and tournament preparation.
UEFA has used Colovray for various development activities, including the Centre of Refereeing Excellence (CORE) for training promising young European referees, and the UEFA Pro licence student course for bringing together student coaches to learn best practices.