The UEFA general secretary is appointed by the UEFA Executive Committee upon the proposal of the UEFA president, and is employed by UEFA. He is responsible for the organisation, management and direction of the UEFA administration, which has its headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

The general secretary has the following duties:
1. Representation of UEFA, as delegated by the UEFA president;
2. Appointment and dismissal of UEFA directors, after consultation with the president;
3. Appointment and dismissal of staff of the administration;
4. Submission of an annual business plan;
5. Compilation of a written report for presentation to the UEFA Ordinary Congress;
6. Drawing up of an estimate for income and expenditure;
7. Initiation of expenditure within the framework of the budget.

The general secretary may delegate his duties to the deputy general secretary and/or to the UEFA directors. The general secretary and the deputy general secretary attend meetings of the UEFA Congress, conferences, the Executive Committee and its panels, as well as of committees, and take an advisory part in the deliberations. The general secretary may be represented by the deputy general secretary.

In addition to the tasks assigned by the UEFA Statutes, the general secretary and UEFA administration fulfil the tasks specified in the different regulations adopted by the Executive Committee. The general secretary reports directly and regularly to the Executive Committee and UEFA president. The general secretary also defines the organisational structure of the UEFA administration which is presented to the Executive Committee.

Gianni Infantino assumed the role of UEFA general secretary in October 2009.

Nationality: Italian / Swiss
Date of Birth: 23 March 1970
Current UEFA role: General Secretary

• Prior to joining UEFA, lawyer Gianni Infantino worked as the secretary general of the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) at the University of Neuchâtel, having previously been an adviser to a variety of football bodies, including the Italian, Spanish and Swiss football leagues.

• Mr Infantino came to UEFA in August 2000, working on a range of legal, commercial and professional football matters, and was appointed as Director of UEFA's Legal Affairs and Club Licensing Division in January 2004, moving on to become Chief Executive ad interim, then Deputy General Secretary and finally General Secretary in October 2009.

• A multilingual, married father of four, and a qualified lawyer, he has said: "Football is passion, football is emotion, football is tolerance, football is respect, football is...magic!"

Previous UEFA roles
Deputy General Secretary and Director of Governance and Legal Affairs Division, 2007-2009
Chief Executive ad interim, February-May 2007
Director of Legal Affairs and Club Licensing, 2004-2007