UEFA and AFC cement shared vision for coach development
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
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Coaches from Reykjavik to Canberra will benefit from landmark agreements signed last month aimed at raising coaching standards globally.
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Following a two-year collaborative process, representatives from UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation AFC came together in Kuala Lumpur on 11 September to sign milestone coach education agreements, formalising the two organisations’ shared commitment to raising coaching standards in Asia and beyond.
An operational agreement enshrines mutual recognition of coaching qualifications between UEFA and the AFC, while a technical agreement maps out a framework for knowledge-sharing, practical cooperation and shared practices. The signing of the agreements – which both run to 2029 – is the culmination of a two-year consultation process, built in part on the lessons learned and successes of similar agreements signed with CONMEBOL in 2022.
“Through this technical agreement in the field of coach development and mutual recognition of coaching qualifications, UEFA’s bonds with AFC will be further enhanced and expanded to the technical development area,” said UEFA general secretary Theodore Theodoridis. “It underlines the importance of quality coach education and the responsible role that the confederations need to take on.”
“It underlines the importance of quality coach education and the responsible role that the confederations need to take on.”
Supporting strategic goals
Coaches from both confederations can expect to benefit from the agreements. They lay the groundwork for joint workshops and seminars, the exchange of coaching education methodologies and the implementation of shared evaluation mechanisms that will ensure the highest standards for coach development programmes across AFC member associations.
In addition, a new initiative will involve UEFA and the AFC working closely together to support 12 AFC member associations in enhancing their coach education frameworks, aligning with the AFC’s strategic ambition to elevate technical development across its member associations.
“The AFC is delighted to reach this agreement with UEFA on the mutual recognition of coaching qualifications and an enhanced programme of technical exchange,” said Datuk Seri Windsor John, the AFC’s general secretary. “This accord is a milestone for the AFC and a credit to the efforts of our member associations. We look forward to greater cooperation with UEFA on all matters relating to coach education.”
The coaching agreements not only set the stage for future cooperation. They are the latest example of the rich dividends our wide-ranging partnership with the AFC continues to deliver.