Platini's message of unity

UEFA President Michel Platini has spoken with pride of the recent developments which have helped bring a new unity to the European football family and created an atmosphere of fresh respect among the game's stakeholders.

Spirit of solidarity
In his address to the XXXII Ordinary UEFA Congress in Zagreb on Thursday, Mr Platini recalled the achievements made by the various components of the football family in the past year, highlighting the agreements and decisions which have led to a reinforced spirit of solidarity.

Protecting football
The UEFA President spoke of his avowed commitment to bringing together the football family "with one single aim – to protect our football, this game that we love so much". He told delegates from UEFA's 53 member associations: "It was high time to stop the family quarrels, to stop tearing each other apart and making out that we could not understand each other."

Fruitful dialogue
The dialogue involving UEFA – in particular through its new Professional Football Strategy Council – the national associations, leagues, players and clubs, has borne great fruit through various accords, the UEFA President explained, recalling his plea last spring for Europe's major clubs in particular to join in dialogue with the football family and help European football move forward in peace and harmony.

New harmony
Mr Platini spoke of the formation earlier this month of the European Club Association (ECA) and the signing of a memorandum of understanding between UEFA and the new body, representing the interests of clubs at European level. The agreement paves the way for a new harmony between UEFA and the clubs. (Click here for more details)

Football the winner
"Today, we therefore have an agreement which resolves the major problems of the past – an agreement without winners or losers," the UEFA President emphasised. "Or perhaps there is indeed one winner – football. This agreement has the merit of ending conflicts while scrupulously respecting the roles, duties and rights of each party. With this agreement and the creation of the European Club Association on 21 January last, the football family has rediscovered peace, concord and serenity." Mr Platini especially thanked the world football body FIFA for its invaluable support in bringing about the agreement.

United family
"Players, clubs, leagues ... today, UEFA is no longer isolated in its ivory tower," Mr Platini said. "Often, it is said that you have to divide to rule more efficiently. I prefer to bring people together to go forward. We are on the point of succeeding in this collective challenge – the family is on the point of being totally united, for one single good reason – all of the members are listening to each other and respecting each other from now on."

European dialogue
Mr Platini turned to the open dialogue with European political institutions which was gradually bearing fruit in terms of, among other things, the recognition of sport's specificity and protection of the European sports model with its promotion/relegation system. "Football Europe is united. It speaks with one single, same voice – and for the first time, Europe's institutions hear it and, more importantly, are listening to it," he said. "Sport does not wish to be above the laws, but it nevertheless needs an adapted legal framework to respond to its specificity."

Access changes
The UEFA President highlighted the UEFA Executive Committee's recent changes to the UEFA Champions League access list (click here for more details), saying: "From 2009, we will have a [UEFA] Champions League which is more open, more democratic and more in accordance with the competition's name." Mr Platini also said he was looking forward with anticipation to a "fantastic festival" at UEFA EURO 2008™ in Austria and Switzerland this summer.

Negative influences
The UEFA President stressed that football must continue to battle relentlessly against negative influences: "Violence, racism, xenophobia, illegal betting, corruption, money-laundering, the trading of children by unscrupulous agents ... let us recognise that our sport must be inflexible and radical in rejecting all these ills, and the extremism which brings them about. Zero tolerance against these dangers – but a tolerance which should not be synonymous with passivity. It is not enough to hope that all of these things stop – we have to want them to stop.

Still a game
"Let us always bear in mind that football remains a game above all, and must remain so – certainly the most beautiful of games, but a game nonetheless. Any other philosophy based on the fact that it is more important to win money than to win trophies would be contrary to the ethics, history and perpetuity of our sport." Mr Platini said that the idea of respect would be a key message in UEFA's future competitions. "We and you are the guardians of an ideal, and this ideal is called football. We must respect football and respect the values that it generates."