A more sporting image

UEFA already boasts an elegant administrative building in Nyon which will shortly be complemented by another, in the circular shape of a ball. Nevertheless, this is not enough to make our headquarters any different from those of other companies that have nothing to do with sport.

We have long had the possibility of giving our administration a more sporting image, however, since the Colovray stadium, owned by the Nyon authorities, is located right next door to our headquarters. And so it was proposed that efforts should be made to combine our administrative offices with these adjacent sports facilities by asking the Nyon authorities to entrust us with the long-term management and upkeep of the Colovray centre, so that we can stage our own events there, while protecting the interests of the sports clubs that also use the facilities.

Negotiations were held with the municipal authorities and an agreement was reached, assigning to UEFA the task of managing and maintaining the sports centre. At its recent meeting in Malta, the UEFA Executive Committee ratified this agreement, which will enable us to take our activities in a new direction, this time to the heart of what we hold most dear: football.

There are many plans already in place and the first will be implemented without delay: the creation of a centre of excellence that will allow the most promising young referees from all over Europe to continue their training in Nyon with the help of refereeing experts.

The new opportunities that this project creates will ensure that our headquarters represent not just the administrative hub, but also the true heart of European football.