UEFA Direct 201 – The impact of European football competitions

Ahead of the 2022/23 season finale, Theodore Theodoridis explains how European competitions "are the engine that drives our mission" in the latest edition of UEFA Direct.

With 15 of our trophies set to be raised before the end of July, the UEFA General Secretary provides a timely reminder of the wider impact these competitions exert at every level of the football pyramid. "UEFA's most prestigious finals help to fund countless other competitions covering different age groups and formats," he says.

Mr Theodoridis details the "bigger picture" of the legacy left by these competitions and final tournaments, from infrastructure projects in Under-21 host countries Georgia and Romania to the rapid growth of futsal. He concludes: "By raising standards, inspiring players, exciting fans or generating income to reinvest in the game, UEFA competitions are the engine that drives our mission to grow European football."

National team competitions revitalised

That theme is very much taken up in the cover story of issue 201 with the recent impetus given to international football set to be given another boost. Explaining the forthcoming changes to the UEFA Nations League – the catalyst behind the revitalised national team game – and the European Qualifiers, UEFA Direct looks at the how their evolution will continue to benefit continental football as a whole.

The club landscape

The UEFA Club Licensing Benchmarking Report is essential reading for anyone interested in the trends and prevailing direction in all ares of the club game in Europe. UEFA Direct picks out some of the highlights, including player opportunities, domestic club competitions and transfer market activity, with some fascinating insights afforded by the report.

Elsewhere in UEFA Direct 201

• Summer finals: the UEFA Nations League and the UEFA European Under-21 Championships are both previewed
• Refereeing: the latest course for top assistant referees emphasises their value
• Protecting the game: news from the 8th UEFA Medical Symposium in Frankfurt and UEFA's latest work in the field of anti-doping
• Growing the game: the Playmakers initiative introduces young girls to football, while programmes for former players at the UEFA Academy and the work of UEFA Grow is also under the spotlight
• The Technician: Giovanni van Bronckhorst presents his coaching philosophy
• UEFA Foundation for Children: annual report has been published

UEFA Direct is also available to read in French and German.