Welcome to Kyiv – UEFA Direct 177 out now
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
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UEFA's official magazine looks ahead to this week's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Women's Champions League finals in Kyiv, and speaks to UEFA's Ukrainian vice-president Grigoriy Surkis.
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All roads lead to Kyiv for two major finals this week - the UEFA Champions League final between Real Madrid and Liverpool, and the UEFA Women’s Champions League final pitting Wolfsburg against Lyon.
UEFA Direct, UEFA’s official magazine, joins football fans everywhere in looking forward to the big games in the Ukrainian capital
UEFA’s official magazine looks at the background to the finals, and how Kyiv has been gearing up to be the focal point for the football world’s attention, as well as greeting thousands of fans and guests who will come to the city for the two matches.
Grigoriy Surkis joins his fellow Ukrainians in excited anticipation of the finals. The UEFA vice-president gives a revealing interview about his love of the game, and why the UEFA club finals will leave an important legacy in terms of Ukraine’s image.
Northern Ireland national team coach Michael O’Neill was the toast of the country when he led the team to their first-ever UEFA EURO finals in 2016. In the technical supplement The Technician, he tells us how he changed mind sets and installed the self-belief and spirit that took the team to an excellent last-16 berth in France.
UEFA’s #EqualGame campaign continues to promote diversity, accessibility and inclusion in football. The focus settles in this edition on Jules Rasoelbaks, a coordinator at a rehabilitation centre in the Netherlands that helps former drug addicts and prisoners to reintegrate into society
Finally, the formats of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League are set to change from the start of next season. UEFA Direct has the lowdown on key changes to the regulations of both competitions for the start of the new 2018-21 cycle.
Elsewhere in UEFA Direct 177
- How national associations are attempting to engage with a wider audience
- UEFA Play – a new online football community platform
- The Italian Football Federation celebrates its 120th birthday
- News from the UEFA member associations
UEFA Direct is available to read in English, French and German