Dusseldorf date for EXCO
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Article summary
A busy week for European football's administrators begins in Germany on Wednesday.
Article body
A hectic week for European football and its administrators begins with the latest meeting of the UEFA Executive Committee in Dusseldorf on Wednesday.
Elections ahead
UEFA's supreme executive body, chaired by UEFA President Lennart Johansson, is meeting ahead of the XXXI Ordinary UEFA Congress in the German city on Thursday and Friday. The Congress features elections to the Executive Committee and a total of 13 prominent football administrators have submitted their candidatures for the six seats available. The terms of office of the current incumbents are expiring and the six seats are available for four-year terms from 2007-11.
Strategy forum
The Executive Committee will hear about last Friday's inaugural meeting in Nyon, Switzerland of the European Professional Football Strategy Forum - a body set up to enhance dialogue and co-operation between UEFA and the different stakeholders in European football. "The forum's structure, with leagues, clubs and the vice-presidents of UEFA, gives the leagues and clubs a direct access to the Executive Committee," said UEFA Chief Executive Lars-Christer Olsson after the talks. "If we find consensus in this forum, the likelihood is that the UEFA Congress and Executive Committee will come to the same conclusions."
TEP status report
National associations will also come under the spotlight with a status report on the Top Executive Programme (TEP), UEFA's project to stimulate the growth of its national associations. The TEP programme was launched in 2005 to support the associations' senior figures in their role as decision-makers. A service package has been set up in order to share and use information via a database, round-table discussions and consultancy. The programme is being run by the UEFA national associations' services unit.
Grassroots and 2008
Grassroots football activities and UEFA EURO 2008™ commercial matters are also on the agenda for the meeting. On Friday, the programme for the UEFA Congress includes the election for the UEFA Presidency. The two candidates are Mr Johansson (Sweden) and UEFA Executive Committee member Michel Platini (France).
