Frank Paauw: 'Football connects people like nothing else'
Monday, September 8, 2025
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President of the Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) and a member of UEFA’s Executive Committee since April's annual Congress, Frank Paauw brings a unique blend of public service, grassroots passion and strategic vision to European football.
With over four decades in policing – including leadership roles in The Hague, Rotterdam and Amsterdam – Paauw has long understood the power of football to unite communities and drive positive change.
Now, he reflects on his path from stadium commander, leading venue security operations, at UEFA EURO 2000, to KNVB president, as well as discussing insights into leadership and how the Netherlands continues to nurture some of the best talent in Europe.
Frank, you’ve had a long and distinguished career in policing. How did that shape your journey into football?
I spent 43 years in policing, working my way through various roles – from narcotics project leader to deputy chief in The Hague, and eventually chief of police in both Rotterdam and Amsterdam. It’s rare to serve in all three major cities in the Netherlands.
My professional connection to football began during UEFA EURO 2000, where I was district commander and stadium commander for matches in Rotterdam, including the final. That experience introduced me to UEFA’s operational side and led to my appointment as a UEFA security officer in 2003. Around the same time, I became the national police portfolio holder for football and major events.
While I didn’t play for the national team or manage a club, I brought political and media experience from my time as police chief. I’ve been involved for a long time and had very close relations with the KNVB, particularly with one of my predecessors, Michael van Praag, and I’ve worked closely with our general secretary, Gijs de Jong, for over 20 years.
So, through my long-term relationships with both the KNVB and UEFA, and as an amateur player, I’ve seen football from several different angles over a long period, and this made me a potential leader for the association.
I believe that leadership is personal to everybody - for me, it is built on trust. People don’t follow what you say, they follow what you do. That means I have to lead by example and build positive long-term relationships with the people around me to create the best conditions for the association to succeed.
What does football mean to you personally?
I love the game. We often say football is the most important side issue in life, and I think it's true.
I’ve played since I was six and still do today. That love hasn’t faded. I enjoy the atmosphere and the way football brings people together – whether you’re a player or a fan.
Now, I also sit on UEFA's Club Competitions Committee, which is a new and fascinating experience for me. The committee discusses regulations, revenues, calendars, and ways to evolve and improve the game. There’s a strong sense of solidarity between UEFA, the European Club Association and club representatives, which is great to see.
Through my work, I have always been passionate about making football safer, better, and more welcoming. That requires cooperation – between national associations, clubs, and of course, fans.
Look at the recent Women’s EURO 2025 in Switzerland or EURO 2024 last summer in Germany. They were both beautiful tournaments that showed us how football connects people like nothing else. It’s a powerful social tool.
On the topic of connection, the KNVB will host the UEFA Unity EURO Cup – a tournament that mixes teams of refugees and players from their host communities – in October. How important is that?
This event captures the essence of football. Football is not just about the Champions League and elite competitions – it’s about inclusion and belonging.
It creates a level playing field for those who’ve faced adversity and the Unity EURO Cup is a celebration of that.
We’re proud of our social responsibility work at the KNVB, with over 40 projects across a range of topics, and hosting this event is a key part of that mission.
You're also deputy chair of the UEFA Stadium and Security committee, and last week were in Budapest for the annual conference on this topic. What were the main subjects on the agenda?
Since the 2000s, football policing has become more fluid, focusing on interaction with fans, and this is an important step. A common mistake – though less frequent now – is focusing too much on the very small minority that could cause trouble, rather than the peaceful majority of match-going supporters.
Last season, we saw fewer problems at UEFA matches, and our safety conferences emphasise the importance of early dialogue between associations and clubs, police and stewarding teams to ensure that events run smoothly.
A major discussion point at the conference was on ensuring a safe and welcoming experience for away fans. The new UEFA club competition format, where teams play each other in the league phase only once, has removed the reciprocity between clubs where they used to play home and away fixtures.
These one-off fixtures can potentially lead to a lower threshold when preventing away supporters from travelling, which is not ideal, because when things work well, away fans can help to generate a fantastic atmosphere and complete the occasion.
In the Netherlands, we are exploring this issue with a pilot project alongside the city of Alkmaar, where we have established early communication between all stakeholders and agencies, in particular UEFA, to share the relevant information and ensure everybody is aware of any potential problems.
Each country, each city and each club has its own specific requirements and restrictions, which everybody must be aware of to allow us to make the right decisions when it comes to fan safety.
Earlier this year, you were elected to UEFA’s Executive Committee with overwhelming support. How did that feel?
It was a very nice surprise and deeply humbling. It’s a vote of confidence not just in me, but also in the KNVB. However, this is only the election, and now, we have to prove our value in the role.
It’s a huge honour to sit on the Executive Committee and a big responsibility for developing and protecting football across the whole of Europe, presenting a positive image to the world.
The Netherlands has often been well represented on the committee, and I believe that the KNVB can act as an important link between the larger and smaller European football associations.
The Netherlands had great success in this season's UEFA youth international tournaments, lifting the Men's Under-19 and Women's Under-17 titles. Just how big an achievement is that?
This is indeed a huge success, and we are incredibly proud. This doesn’t happen every year, and this is the result of a lot of hard work in our development structures and the emergence of an exciting new generation of male and female players.
What makes the Netherlands so successful at developing football talent?
Football is our biggest sport, and we have a dense club structure. We often say that across the country, you can cycle ten minutes in any direction and find an amateur club where you will be able to play.
We have excellent coach education, strong scouting, and great cooperation between clubs and the KNVB. We’re also not afraid to innovate.
Dutch clubs do not have deep pockets to invest in the most expensive players, so we rely on creativity and hard work.
We must invest wisely in finding and training those players, male and female, ourselves, and this is a challenge that our clubs meet with great enthusiasm.
We believe the domestic game is thriving, our matches have full stadiums, season ticket sales are growing, and the game is faster and more exciting than ever.