Fans to pick the UEFA EURO 2020 freestylers

Supporters are being given the chance to become national coach and select the people they want to represent their nation at UEFA EURO 2020.

Your Move – the talent competition to unearth the most original and creative freestyle, street and panna football experts across Europe – will offer two lucky winners from each of the 12 host city venues the opportunity to take part in the 60th anniversary of the UEFA European Championship by becoming UEFA EURO 2020 Freestylers.

Liv Cooke and Tobias Becs, official UEFA EURO 2020 Freestylers and multiple world record holders, have whittled down a shortlist in each country from hundreds of video entries, and have now put the power in the hands of supporters to select their favourite skills.

The winners will represent their host city by taking part in events throughout the EURO, including at matches, in fan zones and during the trophy tour.

And fans will have their say on who is chosen for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by selecting their favourites from the shortlisted skills, flicks and tricks. Everyone who votes will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win tickets to either the final or a match in a host city, signed jerseys or footballs.

Tobias said: "Deciding the shortlist for Your Move has been one of the most enjoyable but difficult things I've ever had to do. The talent, creativity and enthusiasm from all corners of Europe is really inspirational."

Liv Cooke encouraged people to get involved, saying: "The skills on show represent every host city at next year's tournament, and I'd encourage everyone to go and choose who they think should be involved. Freestyling is as much about expressing yourself as it is about football, and the public will learn loads as they look through these great videos and choose their favourites."

From Dublin to Baku, the shortlisted freestylers will now have to wait six weeks to find out whether they have been successful. They include 18-year-old Laura Dekker from the Netherlands, who first started freestyling four years ago after seeing someone doing a trick on Instagram.

"My greatest freestyle achievement so far is becoming a European champion, so now I'm aiming to be world champion!" she said. "Freestyle football is genuinely my life. My favourite thing to do is perform and show people my new tricks, so it would be amazing to be part of EURO 2020."

Twenty-seven-year-old Javier Sanz Aguilar has been freestyling for about 12 years. "One of the main reasons I love freestyle football is the community," he said. "Everyone is always so friendly that it feels like you've known each other for years. I'm a massive football fan, so I would love to experience EURO 2020 from another point of view, and represent Spain in this European tournament."

Joe Ashworth, who is 23, hopes to represent Glasgow at EURO 2020, and thinks the city is a brilliant location for the tournament. He adds: "Glasgow is a place full of raw passion for football, like nowhere else I've seen. The people here will give Hampden Park one of the best atmospheres in the competition, and I want to play a part in leading that!"

For more information, including how to vote for your favourite freestyler, please visit uefa.com/uefaeuro-2020/your-move/ before 14:00 CET on 30 September 2019.

Note to media:

About freestyle
Freestyling is a form of football associated with street football, panna, and other skills-based versions of the game. It shares characteristics with dance and even rhythmic gymnastics, and is closely tied to music. Freestyling is not a game – it's an expression of creativity and an artistic performance.

About the UEFA EURO 2020 Freestylers

Liv Cooke, a 20-year-old from Leyland, England, is a four-time world freestyle record holder, whose rapid ascent to the top of the freestyling world rankings has resulted in her becoming the youngest world champion ever, as well as a UEFA Women's Football Ambassador.

In 2017, she became the world's No1 football freestyler, obtaining full points in every battle during the event in Prague on her way to the world title. A year later, she broke four world records live in Barcelona.

Tobias Becs, a 27-year-old from Oslo, Norway, is a multiple European champion and founder of his own freestyle lifestyle brand. Having started freestyling in 2006, Tobias now travels the world looking to bring the art of freestyling to as wide and varied an audience as possible.

He has performed his skills in a diverse range of locations - from the top of a mountain to dangling from a crane – and has ambitions to raise the profile of freestyling even further.