UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) is a regulatory body that governs footballing events in Europe and is one of the six confederations. It administers and organises football, futsal, and beach football tournaments in Europe and West Asian nations.
UEFA plays a big role in supervising media rights for broadcasting for some of Europe’s top club competitions as well as the prize money.
Henri Delaunay of France became the first secretary general of UEFA in 1954, while Ebbe Schwartz was its first president. Current secretary general and president posts are held by Theodore Theodoridis of Greece and Aleksander Ceferin of Russia, respectively.
History of UEFA
UEFA was established on the 15th of June 1954 in Basel, Switzerland, as officials from France, Italy, and Belgium were present during discussions.
Previously there were 31 founding associations, but during the 1990s the number grew to 50 as associations from Yugoslavia, the Czech Republic, and Russia (Soviet Union) joined in later on.
Earlier, its headquarters were in Paris, France, but later on, it was moved to Bern in 1960. In 1995, it was permanently moved to Nyon, Switzerland.
Members of UEFA
UEFA has 55 members from different national associations of Europe. Monaco and Vatican City are not members.
Some members, like England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, Kosovo, and the Faroe Islands, aren’t sovereign states, but they are said to be sovereign states as per international law. UEFA has earlier not permitted membership to non-sovereign nations like Jersey.
UEFA members like Turkey, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are said to be a part of Europe politically as well as due to their culture. Countries like Israel and Kazakhstan, which were earlier part of the Asian Football Confederation, were also considered in the European Football Association.
Some UEFA associations permit associations from other nations to participate in their domestic league. For instance, AS Monaco plays in the French Ligue, while Cardiff City competes in the English Premier League, and Derry City, which is based in Northern Ireland, is permitted to play in the League of Ireland.
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Competitions and Leagues organized by UEFA
European Leagues like the English Premier League (EPL), Spanish La Liga, Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, and France’s Ligue 1 are organised under the ambit of UEFA. Apart from these leagues, UEFA is responsible for organising other tournaments like:
1. Champions League
It consists of some of Europe’s top clubs from different European Leagues. It is considered one of the most competitive club events and consists of 36 teams.
2. Europa League
It is a second-tier club competition, providing teams an opportunity to play in the European circuit. It also consists of 36 teams.
3. Europa Conference League
It was introduced during the 2021-22 season to give bottom-ranked clubs to play in the European circuit. It is a third-tier competition.
4. Super League
Winners of the Champions League and Europa League compete against each other in this league.
5. European Championship
It is played every four years and is considered a major tournament in European football where 24 European teams compete.
6. Nations League
The Nations League was established to add more competitiveness to European football. It has replaced international friendlies that looked dull and didn’t attract enough viewership.
Other Roles of UEFA
UEFA helps bring in more fair play and ensures the tournaments are played with integrity. It also provides assistance in developing the sport at the ground level and helps in promoting the game at the youth level.
UEFA has also done a decent job in the growth of women’s football. UEFA also ensures rigid guidelines by ensuring fair play and appointing match referees and officials. It also oversees all the European competitions held smoothly and without any security lapse.
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