UEFA's contribution to society

The Fair Play and Social Responsibility Committee has seen the scope of its work widen in the 18 months since its inception, as UEFA looks to harness football's popularity for the good of society.

Respect success
Unveiled by UEFA President Michel Platini in Vienna last spring, the Respect campaign underpins the committee's work as the initiative aims to foster increased respect both on and off the pitch throughout the footballing community. The Respect message was much in evidence at UEFA EURO 2008™, and its generally acknowledged success at the tournament has raised calls for its spirit to be kept alive in European club competition this season.

‘Brilliant idea'
"I think it was a brilliant idea to leave aside the former traditional, conservative concept of the words Fair Play," committee chairman Senes Erzik told uefa.com. "People were used to seeing the Fair Play banners, billboards, etc. When humans get used to things, they don't really feel any more what it means in essence. Respect is new, the colours are different, and there is a new creative flag. It is a striking word. It makes people sit up and take notice, and forces them to think about what the word respect means – it is so simple. You have to respect everything."

Projects implemented
Under the auspices of Respect, the committee was instrumental in implementing a number of other projects at UEFA EURO 2008™. In conjunction with long-time partner, the Football Against Racism in Europe network, Mr Erzik launched the Unite Against Racism campaign prior to the tournament, culminating in high-profile activities before the two semi-finals; UEFA donated €4,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross for each of the 77 goals scored at the finals; under the Football for All banner, handicapped players were given a chance to showcase their skills on the pitch before each of the quarter-finals; and EUROSCHOOLS 2008 brought together more than 10,000 schoolchildren from 200 schools throughout Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein to participate in a football tournament and intercultural dialogue.

Grassroots work
The committee's involvement at the grassroots of football is particularly close to Mr Erzik's heart, after his work in his native country as president of the Turkish Football Federation. He remains a firm believer that those who are the future of the game must be nurtured. "When I was appointed president of the FA by the prime minister in 1989, the norm had been for Turkey to lose games 8-0 to England, 6-0 to Czechoslovakia. I had to get rid of this, and I asked myself: 'How can I do it?' The grassroots were the only solution because you have to build from the bottom up," said Mr Erzik, who saw his efforts come to fruition with Turkey's third-place finish at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. "Without grassroots football, you cannot build – this is the only model. This includes everyone. You have to build it up, and it's the time where you can best give them education – otherwise it's too late."

'Greener' football
Time is also of the essence for the environment, a fact recognised by the committee which is poised to embark on a project to make football greener. "With all the activities we had at UEFA EURO 2008™, we have a new project to contribute to the environment in terms of reducing carbon emissions," explained Mr Erzik, who is also a UEFA first vice-president. "There were a lot of flights with the referees, the Executive Committee, and all of those involved in the tournament. So we've developed a plan, based on a detailed proposal made at our last meeting, and reached the stage where we now have a strategy to compensate for these carbon emissions, which – statistically – are very large. Therefore, we believe we can make a start, using football's popularity, to contribute to the preservation of the environment."