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UEFA Assist programme launched

New UEFA initiative aimed at providing practical assistance to other confederations and their member associations in order to develop and strengthen football across the globe.

UEFA Assist programme launched
UEFA Assist programme launched ©Sportsfile

UEFA today announced the launch of a brand new support programme, UEFA Assist, to provide other football confederations with knowledge-sharing and development opportunities.

Promoting, protecting and developing football has long been one of UEFA’s central objectives and to complement all the work done in Europe, UEFA has now created a new international programme which will increase solidarity and enhance football development to tackle the needs of national associations in other confederations.

Under the tag line ‘Supporting your success’, the main scope of UEFA Assist is essentially to share knowledge and best practices to help UEFA’s sister confederations to develop and strengthen football within their respective territories. UEFA Assist is designed to provide practical rather than financial assistance and to offer support through development activities.

Commenting on the launch of the Assist scheme, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said: 

“UEFA aim to work as much as possible in the development of football and I feel that it is our duty to assist other confederations and their member associations by sharing our experience, expertise and knowledge, so they can reach their goals.

“We are looking forward to helping them grow football in their continents and to also participate in the development of the game outside Europe.”

UEFA Assist is composed of four pillars, each providing specific support to member associations and confederations worldwide:

• Education and knowledge-sharing

UEFA Assist will share knowledge and best practices by making experts available and providing access to its educational programmes. 

• Development of youth football

UEFA Assist will provide opportunities for talented young players to gain experience of playing in a competitive environment, to learn about different cultures and to network through youth development tournaments.

• Infrastructure

UEFA Assist will support infrastructure projects that provide immediate benefits to the member associations of other confederations.

• UEFA member association support

UEFA member associations are encouraged and supported by UEFA Assist to establish and develop their own programmes and activities outside Europe.

The first UEFA Assist programme will see an Under-15 development tournament organised jointly with CONMEBOL, with the ten South American national teams and two European sides – Croatia and Czech Republic – featuring in this competition which will be played in the cities of Mendoza and San Juan in Argentina from 4 to 17 November 2017. 

Through the staging of this tournament, the host association will be given assistance on event planning and organisation.

In addition to playing competitive football, participants will take part in various education workshops focusing amongst others on social development, nutrition and health, while dedicated seminars will be organised for coaches, referees and football administrators.

Over the years, UEFA has already demonstrated its commitment to reinforcing relationships with other confederations by providing ad-hoc support and signing memorandums of understanding with all five of its sister confederations.