By Paul Nicholson at UEFA Congress in Brussels
February 12 – In an address that touched on fragile and fragmenting global politics, and went deeper into issues of respect, universality and unity, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin reassured his member football associations (FA) that Europe’s footballing future is bright.
Čeferin emphasised a commitment to shaping the future and creating positive opportunities during his speech at the UEFA Congress in Brussels on Thursday.
“Brussels is a place where compromises are forged. Unity is never guaranteed. Europe learned early that stability is precious and fragile,” Čeferin said.
“My friends, we do not need long history lessons, we are living in it now…Global order is more fragile than any time in recent years… Power decides our lives. You might ask what has this to do with football. It has everything to do with football,” he continued.
While the world is politically floating in a dangerous state of uncertainly and instability, his point was that football has a role to play.
“Football is a unifying force. Societies that are divided are united by football. We are united in diversity…”
It was a pointed comment to a room where FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has taken FIFA deep into the White House and U.S. politics, was present.
“Football belongs to football. It belongs to our 55 national federations and their clubs. It is built season after season, generation after generation,” said Čeferin. “Football cannot be bought. Football cannot be sold. It belongs to everyone. It is why Europe’s football future is bright.
“Challenged like never before, we choose unity over fragmentation…. My response, our response, is to take it into the future with confidence. It is our shared responsibility.
“We will keep European football out of politics. Politics has nothing to do with the game and our clubs. UEFA will always keep our soul… we can change venues, not values. We will not punish FAs because politics have made their job harder.”
That will be music to the ears of the Israelis who want to remain indelibly in football’s family, and the Russians who want to engineer at least a partial return to it. Čeferin went no further on either political issue.
Turning to pure football matters, Čeferin ran through several topics including the opportunity of AI and that football will inevitably be digitally re-engineered but pointed out that “the young have not turned away”.
“They are here and they are watching and filling stadiums in unprecedented numbers… there is no algorithm that can replace what happens on the pitch. Football happens in real places with real people.”
On the reforms of club football, he emphasised the process of ‘consulting, listening, adjusting’ and a new structure that has seen €400 million distributed to clubs outside the league phase of European club competitions and €308 million to clubs not in European competition at all.
Special mention went to UC3. “Our joint venture with clubs – it improves the pyramid we are building together.”
Illustrating the UEFA direction of travel Čeferin pointed to the women’s European Championship last year in Switzerland where “650,000 people attended matches, and all but two games were sold out.
“For a few weeks in a difficult and pressured world, football gave Europe something precious again. European football’s future is bright.”
Čeferin also touched on EURO 2028 and, without mentioning it, the astronomical pricing that is surrounding this year’s World Cup in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
“In 2028 we will not turn loyalty into luxury, (it will be) community not commodity,” he said.
On the new agreement with Real Madrid effectively ending the European Super League breakaway proposal, Čeferin said he was “personally happy Real Madrid and Barcelona have rejoined the family. I am actually tired of the dispute.”
In offering the olive branch to Real Madrid he also reached out to embattled Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez, the ‘Voldemort’ of the Super League project, saying that while they “disagreed we never lost respect for Pérez. Now the only winner is football.”
Čeferin concluded with “one simple truth”.
“European football’s success story is like no other and this is not by accident…When disagreement turns into disrespect football shows another way – respect for the game and each other…
“Respect is football’s wide super power, one the world is short of. This is how European football is taken forward.”
Contact the writer of this story, Paul Nicholson at moc.l1770898421labto1770898421ofdlr1770898421owedi1770898421sni@n1770898421osloh1770898421cin.l1770898421uap1770898421
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