UEFA•direct 144 out now

The new UEFA Nations League and strengthening integrity and promoting diversity in football are among the items on offer in the latest edition of UEFA's official publication UEFA•direct.

In December, the UEFA Executive Committee approved the format for the UEFA Nations League, an exciting new national-team competition that will kick off in 2018, replacing most friendly internationals and reinforcing the status and appeal of the national-team game in accordance with the wishes of the European national associations. UEFA•direct explains the format for what is an eagerly anticipated competition.

Staying with national-team football, the UEFA EURO 2016 mascot Super Victor has arrived, after being named by more than 107,000 fans in a poll on UEFA.com and social media. The inspiration for, as well as the creation and presentation of this charming young boy are covered in detail by UEFA•direct, and actor Quentin Thiriau tells us what it was like to play the part of Super Victor during the mascot's first major appearance at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille.

In his editorial column, UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino heralds the development of European women's football on and off the field, with new benchmarks being set in a variety of areas, and UEFA striving to bring women into leadership positions and recruit and train women coaches in particular. "This topic will remain at the top of UEFA's list of priorities," says Mr Infantino of women's football. "All women and girls are encouraged to play or to get involved in the sport in other ways. Make no mistake, women's football is here to stay."

European football's governing body recently introduced a set of new measures aimed at preventing match-fixing in football – considered as one of the major threats to football's well-being and integrity. UEFA•direct has the latest on UEFA's implementation of its new Integrity App, Integrity Reporting Platform and freephone number, as well as elearning opportunities that have become available to strengthen the fight against the manipulation of matches.

In a separate article on the same topic, the spotlight is turned on recent workshops attended by UEFA's European network of integrity officers to further develop cooperation in tackling match-fixing. Created by the UEFA Executive Committee in 2011, integrity officers act as liaison officers between the football authorities and state law enforcement agencies in cases of suspected match-fixing. They also exchange information and experience with the UEFA administration regarding the prosecution of corrupt or criminal practices affecting football. They monitor disciplinary proceedings and coordinate relevant action, as well as organising educational programmes for players, referees and coaches as part of an effective preventive strategy.

An innovative new UEFA project is designed to foster diversity within the management of football in Europe, and UEFA•direct throws light on the Captains of Change programme, which is being developed to establish a more inclusive environment in European football management. The initiative is open to anyone who works for a national association or UEFA, and UEFA is also helping to fund some of the diversity projects that are implemented during the programme.

"Captains of Change has been set up in accordance with the belief that diversity is well-developed on the pitch, but less so within football organisations," says UEFA•direct. "Studies also illustrate that diversity in the workplace may have positive effects on results and performance. Those individuals who become Captains of Change will be important not only within their organisation, but also within the European football family, as they will be contributing towards establishing a culture of inclusion and equal opportunities irrespective of ethnicity, religion, disability, gender and sexual orientation. They will do so through national and local initiatives to foster diversity in their respective organisations."

With a look at the current decade, UEFA•direct also completes its review of UEFA's history to mark the organisation's 60th birthday last year, and focuses on how UEFA has launched a special 60th birthday edition of its Research Grant programme – supporting academic research in European football for the benefit of the European national associations. By encouraging cooperation between the national associations and the academic community, UEFA hopes to help launch research projects that the associations can then make use of to enhance their own activities and projects.

UEFA•direct is published in English, French and German, and is essential reading for anyone interested in UEFA's activities and competitions, and the sterling work undertaken by its 54 member associations.