UEFA Annual and Financial Reports 2020/21: What we do and how we do it
Thursday, June 9, 2022
Article summary
UEFA’s latest Annual and Financial Reports both offer timely reminders of how the European body applies the values of the European sports model at all levels of the football pyramid.
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Article body
The European sports model forms the foundations on which most of our continent’s sports institutions, organisations and governing bodies are built. Its pyramid structure works on the premise that revenue generated at the top by professional competition is reinvested back into the game at all levels. It also recognises the sport’s contribution to society beyond the pitch, whether through education, innovation, sustainability or breaking down barriers.
The 2020/21 editions of both our Annual and Financial Reports (plus the Financial Report annex) are packed with data, stories and graphics that show how UEFA lives the values of this model in every aspect of its mission.
Organising seven elite competitions amid a pandemic
The two opening sections of the Annual Report (pages 10-41) reveal the specialist skills, coordination and collaboration required to successfully stage 1,400 club and national team matches across Europe during a health crisis, culminating with Italy’s victory at UEFA EURO 2020.
Redistributing our revenue to the football community
Graphics in both the Annual Report (page 6) and the Financial Report (page 5) show clearly how UEFA, a not-for-profit organisation, redistributes the majority of income from its elite competitions back into the game to benefit all of Europe’s national associations.
Developing football at all levels of the pyramid
A dedicated chapter (Annual Report, pages 44-59) provides a comprehensive overview of how UEFA development programmes strengthen all aspects of the beautiful game: building training facilities, growing women’s football, running coach and referee courses, and encouraging everyone to get involved in grassroots football.
Supporting positive social change off the pitch
‘Making football sustainable’ (Annual Report, pages 72-75) explains how UEFA is laying the groundwork to ensure that our sport’s pan-European popularity plays a game-changing role in tackling human rights and environmental issues.
Preparing for the future
The Annual Report is packed with examples of how UEFA works behind the scenes to ensure that European football stays ahead of the game, whether adapting to change or setting new standards: grassroots coaching diploma (pages 56-57), anti-discrimination training for referees (page 41), anti-match-fixing measures (pages 78-79) and the evolution of club competitions (pages 64-67).