André Vieli retires after 31 years at UEFA

A page in UEFA's history is turning with the retirement at the end of this month of the European body's longest-serving current employee, senior publications manager André Vieli, after 31 years.

André, who is a native of Fribourg, Switzerland, joined UEFA in September 1982 as an archivist and editor. He studied ancient history at the university in his home town and has been a keen football fan since childhood. Before joining UEFA, he wrote for several local publications and was also briefly a teacher.

During his career at UEFA, André has been responsible for writing, editing and producing UEFA publications such as the UEFA Bulletin, UEFA Flash and the current official monthly publication UEFA•direct, in addition to countless UEFA reports and publications covering the broad palette of activities across the European football landscape.

UEFA President Michel Platini praised André for his "passion, precision and devotion". "That's not just professionalism, that is love," he said. "A love story which has lasted over 30 years."

"He has helped to spread information and explanations about UEFA's activities across Europe and beyond, as well as promoting the wide range of European competitions and the work of UEFA's member associations," added UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino. "UEFA is grateful to him for his loyalty and devotion, and we hope that in the coming years he will continue to enjoy the game that he so obviously loves."

André played as a defender in local football in Fribourg before deciding to put journalism first. He originally overcame the challenge of some 100 candidates to win the UEFA job, and moved with UEFA from its previous headquarters in the Swiss federal capital Berne to Nyon, in the west of the country, in 1995.

Besides his work on UEFA publications, he was a "jack of all trades" in the press department – for example, considering himself fortunate to be standing directly behind the goal and marshalling photographers when Netherlands striker Marco van Basten scored one of the game's most memorable goals, a volley in the 1988 UEFA European Championship final against the Soviet Union in Munich.

He has accompanied UEFA on its way from a purely administrative body to the dynamic business organisation it is today, and considers UEFA's former press head, the late U Rudolph Rothenbühler, and his assistant and colleague for over 20 years, Dominique Maurer, as key influences on his career and working life. Since 1982, he has served four UEFA Presidents – Artemio Franchi, Jacques Georges, Lennart Johansson and Michel Platini.

"I realised that teaching was not going to be my path, so I applied to join UEFA," he reflected. "Football has changed, and UEFA and its communications activities have obviously changed from the days of telex machines and typewriters. I haven't really been able to think that hard about my retirement because I've been continuing to work on publications right up to now."

André will carry on admiring the creative, imaginative players such as Lionel Messi, and is preparing to produce a book for UEFA on the organisation's 60th birthday next year. A keen spectator, he will also continue to follow the fortunes of, among others, FC Central, the Fribourg team for whom he played as a youngster: he co-edited a book on the club's centenary in 2010.