Giangiorgio Spiess

Nationality: Swiss
Date of Birth: 24 September 1933
Honorary member since: 2009
Amicale des Anciens

• Trained as a lawyer, Giangiorgio Spiess graduated in 1959 and went on to spend much of his career in football, serving as president of Swiss side FC Lugano and then moving on to help UEFA through his role on the Swiss Football Association's central committee.

• Spiess's legal expertise made him a valued member of a number of UEFA committees, not least the UEFA Executive Committee, while his efforts with the Swiss national team were rewarded when they travelled to the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States.

• A keen AC Milan supporter, Spiess has said: "Football is the most natural sport: all you need is a football. When I was a kid, we even played with balls made of rags. You don't need any more equipment and it doesn't matter if you're tall or small; with the right motivation and attitude, you can enjoy the game. That's why football is the nicest sport in the world."

Previous UEFA roles
European Championship Committee (member) 1992-2000
Executive Committee (member) 1996-2007
List of Experts concerning the regulations of UEFA governing the fixing of a transfer fee (EXCO representative) 1996-1998
Panel for Technical and Administrative Assistance (EXCO representative) 1996-2000
Committee for Licensed Match Agents (chairman) 1996-2007
Juridical Committee (chairman) 1998-2000
Club Competitions Committee (EXCO representative) 2000-2007
UEFA Media and Technologies Board (EXCO representative) 2001-2007
EXCO Working Group Club Licensing (member) 2002-2007
Working Group Coefficient System (member) 2002-2006
Leagues & FIFPro Panel (EXCO representative) 2004-2007
EXCO Working Group Clubs and Leagues (member) 2004-2007
Working Group on Competition Regulations (member) 2005-2007
Players' Status, Transfer and Agents and Match Agents Committee (deputy chairman) 2007-2009
Club Licensing Committee (deputy chairman) 2007-2009
Legal Committee (chairman) 2007-2009