Courtesy UEFA.COM


Good news at EXCO meeting

Thursday, 06 November 2003

Preparations are continuing apace for next summer's UEFA EURO 2004™ final round in Portugal - and the ten stadiums hosting matches will be ready for use at the tournament.

High-class infrastructure

The UEFA Executive Committee, meeting in Kiev, Ukraine, heard that the final phase of work for next year's tournament is proceeding at an excellent rate. The committee was told that the infrastructures that are being put in place for the finals are of a higher standard than ever before. The final partner, technological and licensing agreements are being put in place, and praise was again given to the Portuguese hosts for the outstanding work being undertaken.

EU lobbying continues

On the political front, UEFA and other major sports bodies are to continue their intensive lobbying campaign for the specific nature of sport and the autonomy of sport's governing bodies to be anchored in future European Union legislation. EU governments are being requested to accept that sport should be given a legal basis in the new EU Treaty, with the lobbying campaign moving to the highest ministerial ranks in various countries.

EU Treaty

Last month, 12 out of 15 EU member states agreed to recommend significant amendments to the wording of sport-related stipulations in the new draft of the EU Treaty. The recommendation, made by EU sports ministers at a meeting in Florence, would bring the text of Article 182 of the new EU Treaty draft more into line with the principles of the Nice Declaration issued by European heads of state in 2000. Sports bodies have said that the Nice Declaration contains all the major elements considered essential for sport, and the safeguarding of sport in the future.

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Czech Futsal hosts

In other business, the UEFA Executive Committee decided to award the hosting of the 2005 UEFA Futsal Championship final round to the Czech Republic, and to admit Andorra, Estonia and Greece to the UEFA convention on the mutual recognition of coaching qualifications at B, A and A/B levels respectively. Some 140,000 coaches in Europe now have UEFA-endorsed qualifications, with 35 countries members of the convention – 21 at the highest Pro level.

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Ukraine's warmth

UEFA President Lennart Johansson thanked the Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU) and the Ukrainian people for the warmth shown to the UEFA delegation during its visit to Kiev. "We have felt at home and among friends in a country with tremendous development," Mr Johansson - who celebrated his birthday yesterday - told reporters after the meeting.

President visit

Senior UEFA officials also met Ukraine's president, Leonid Kuchma, who presented Mr Johansson with a high Ukrainian order for his services to the development of football in Europe. The UEFA party also viewed a variety of football facilities in Kiev.

Passed the test

"Mr Johansson's kind words tell us that we have passed the maturity test [as hosts]," said FFU president Grigoriy Surkis, who evoked the possibility of Ukraine applying to co-host a future European Championship in conjunction with neighbours Poland. "We are a young country, and are honoured by UEFA's trust in us," Surkis added.