Dialogue proving its worth - Olsson

UEFA Chief Executive Lars-Christer Olsson says that broadening its dialogue to encompass leagues and clubs, as well as national associations, is helping UEFA manage European football more efficiently in the modern-day climate.

Shape and purpose
In recent years, UEFA has held regular meetings not only with its 52 member associations, but also with Europe's professional leagues and major clubs. Bodies such as the European Club Forum and Professional Football Committee have given an extra dimension to the discussion process between UEFA and the European football community.

Football's coherence
"Even though modern technology makes all kinds of exceptions possible, the base of a construction should always be wider than the top, the same as a pyramid," Mr Olsson says in the latest edition of the official UEFA publication uefadirect. "The structure of football follows this principle, with players, clubs, and national associations making up the different levels of a pyramid topped by the continental confederations and all under the umbrella of FIFA.

Solidarity principle
"This structure has proved its worth. It assures the coherence of football and operates on the principle of solidarity, thereby making the top and the base interdependent. In this system, UEFA's direct partners are its member associations.

Striking a balance
"By means of a democratic system of representation, it falls on their shoulders to defend the interests of the players as well as the clubs, referees and all the other components of the game. At national level, it is also their job to strike a balance between national-team and club football, a task which UEFA takes on at international level."

Modern demands
The UEFA CEO added: "This system is, however, cumbersome, which weakens its effectiveness somewhat and makes it rather incompatible with the demands of the modern world and the complexity of the problems, which often concern one of the game's components specifically and not the whole structure.

New platforms
"Therefore, in order to work more efficiently and to continue to manage European football well, but without dismantling the pyramid principle, UEFA has inserted new platforms for direct communication into its structure, such as the Professional Football Committee, in which the professional leagues are directly represented, and the European Club Forum, in which a hundred or so élite European clubs participating in the UEFA competitions are involved."

Further steps
Mr Olsson expressed satisfaction at the progress of discussions with the club and league bodies within the UEFA structure. "These two consultative bodies have also proved their worth, which should encourage us to take further steps in the dialogue between the Executive Committee, the national associations, the leagues and the clubs, under the umbrella of UEFA."

All sectors involved
UEFA's desire to fully involve all sectors of European football in the consultation and decision-making process took a significant step forward recently, when UEFA, the players' union FIFPro and the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) announced plans to reinforce their relations on a Europe-wide level. This, says Mr Olsson, was designed "to create a platform for further talks within the association football structure".