'Action of the highest calibre'
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
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UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin welcomes the start of the 2021 Nations League finals as "a distinguished quartet" prepare for action.
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Welcome to the 2021 UEFA Nations League finals.
This is a memorable year for European national team football. The summer brought us a superb UEFA EURO 2020 which met all our expectations – it was indeed a tournament for the ages, captivating football fans in Europe and beyond.
Now, the spotlight switches to Europe’s other premium national team event, the UEFA Nations League finals, the climax to the second edition of this exciting and attractive competition. And, by happy coincidence, Italy, whose national team emerged victorious at EURO 2020, will be hosting the Nations League festival of football.
A distinguished quartet – our Italian hosts, Belgium, France and Spain – promise to provide us with football action of the highest calibre.
The UEFA Nations League reflects the desire of UEFA and its 55 member associations to further enhance the quality and status of the national team game across Europe. We have no doubt that these finals will prove to be a resounding success, not least owing to the vast experience that the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has of hosting the biggest football occasions.
I would like to close by also thanking everyone for their part in helping to bring the latest UEFA Nations League competition to its conclusion. It has been a remarkable effort in difficult and unprecedented circumstances, and I am sure that we will be rewarded by a tournament to remember.
Enjoy the action – may the best team win!
Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA President