UEFA – Inside World Football

UEFA hosts logistical meeting ahead of Women’s EUROs in Switzerland

Andy Elliott — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 10:27:56 +0000

April 24 – As excitement builds ahead of UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 in Switzerland, head coaches and key operational staff from all 16 participating nations gathered this week in Nyon for a finalists’ workshop focused on delivering the competition’s logistical and technical framework.

Held at UEFA headquarters, the workshop addressed essential planning areas including refereeing protocols, team services, matchday operations, media and broadcast coordination, anti-doping and medical standards, and safety and sustainability measures.

UEFA releases tickets for men’s and women’s club competition finals

Andy Elliott — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 09:23:34 +0000

April 8 – UEFA has officially opened ticket sales for its 2025 men’s and women’s club competition finals, offering fans across the globe the chance to attend European football’s biggest nights.

In line with its ongoing ‘Fans First’ initiative, UEFA is once again putting supporters at the heart of the allocation process. The majority of tickets for the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League finals will go to fans of the finalist clubs and the general public.

SK Brann claim legal victory over ‘UEFA Mafia’ banners at CAS

Andy Elliott — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 08:35:46 +0000

April 8 – Norwegian club SK Brann have claimed a legal victory after the highest court in sports ruled that UEFA should not have punished the club for fans singing ‘UEFA mafia’ or displaying banners with the same message at Women’s Champions League games.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled against the European governing body which had slapped Brann with a €5,000 fine for “provocative messages of an offensive nature”

Spain’s Louzán and Israel’s Zuares beat Ukraine’s Shevchenko for UEFA Exco seat

Andy Elliott — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 12:00:38 +0000

April 3 – Former Ukraine star Andriy Shevchenko (pictured) has failed in his bid to get a seat on the UEFA Executive Committee (Exco), garnering just 15 votes.

Spain’s Rafael Louzán and Israel’s Moshe Zuares defeated the Ukrainian Football Association president in a vote for two seats with a two-year mandate on UEFA’s highest decision-making body.

On the eve of the election, a letter had circulated discrediting Shevchenko, who last year voted against plans to extend presidential term limits beyond 12 years.

UEFA president calls for unity in ‘increasingly divided world’

Andy Elliott — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 09:29:43 +0000

April 3 – Using the metaphor of a symphony, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin (pictured) delivered a message of unity at his confederation’s Congress in Belgrade on Thursday.

Following speeches by Serbia Prime Minister Miloš Vučević and Serbia Football Association president Dragan Džajić, Čeferin emphasized the importance of unity in a polarized world, pointing to the example of Serbia and Albania staging the U17 European Championship in 2027.

“Every day we hear what feels like a nonstop refrain us versus them,” said Čeferin.

UEFA links with Beyond Hospitality to sell UCL final packages until 2027

Andy Elliott — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 09:11:24 +0000

April 3 – UEFA has appointed Beyond Hospitality to create, market, and sell official travel and hospitality packages for the next three UEFA Champions League finals, starting with the 2025 showcase in Munich. The agreement also covers the 2026 event in Budapest, with the 2027 host venue yet to be confirmed.

This move strengthens Beyond Hospitality’s position as a key player in football’s premium event sector. In December, FIFA also selected Beyond Hospitality as the official provider for the 2025 Club World Cup in the US,

Second-half blitz sees Arsenal through to Women’s Champions League semi-finals

Andy Elliott — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 10:29:00 +0000

March 27 – Arsenal secured a spot in the last four of the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) with an outstanding 3-0 win against Real Madrid on Wednesday night to wipe out a 2-0 first-leg deficit.

The London club were the dominant side at the Emirates Stadium – where the 22,517 crowd set a new record for a UWCL quarter-final in the UK – but they had to wait until the second half to score.

UEFA cracks down on Olimpija Ljubljana and Anderlecht for fan misconduct

Andy Elliott — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 11:32:11 +0000

March 20 – UEFA has come down hard on NK Olimpija Ljubljana and RSC Anderlecht in the wake of a collection of serious fan misconduct incidents in recent European fixtures.

Olimpija were hit with over €180,000 in fines and a ban on away fans after their supporters engaged in racist behaviour, lit fireworks, hurled objects, chanted illicit slogans and damaged stadium property during both legs of their UEFA Conference League tie against FK Borac,

Rangers set for UEFA sanctions following condemnation of “anti-woke” banner

Andy Elliott — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 10:32:40 +0000

March 20 – Scottish Premiership side Rangers have condemned fans who held up a giant “anti-woke” banner during a recent UEFA Europa League (UEL) tie and admit they now face significant sanctions from UEFA.

A sign which read: “Keep woke foreign ideologies out – defend Europe” was raised during the UEL match against Fenerbahçe SK last week.

Rangers said the club have been charged by UEFA for what they described as a “racist and/or discriminatory banner.”

“For the club to be charged with such a matter in 2025 is shameful,

UEFA launches Queenzine platform to promote UWCL host cities

Andy Elliott — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 10:18:28 +0000

March 18 – UEFA has launched Queenzine, a new content platform aimed at celebrating the diverse football cultures of cities hosting UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) fixtures, while elevating the competition’s stars and connecting with fans beyond matchdays.

The initiative is part of UEFA’s broader Queens of Football campaign, which juggles UWCL players as both elite athletes and cultural icons, blending online content with city-based activations in an attempt to drive visibility for women’s football and foster deeper fan engagement across select cities.

UEFA revamps free streaming platform in time for men’s club competition knockouts

Andy Elliott — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 10:55:15 +0000

February 13 – UEFA has unveiled the next-generation version of UEFA.tv, its free streaming platform, introducing a revamped interface, new features and a broader content library aimed at enhancing the fan experience.

The update comes as the knockout stages of UEFA’s men’s club competitions get underway, with the platform now offering extended match highlights, match previews, pre- and post-match press conferences, and exclusive behind-the-scenes content. Fans will also have access to the new ‘Matchday Moments’ feature,

UEFA punishes Roma with fine and partial ground closure for fan trouble

Andy Elliott — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 09:40:39 +0000

February 6 – UEFA has ordered Roma to close most of one end of the Stadio Olimpico at their next Europa League playoff game and fined them €30,000 because of fan trouble.

Roma secured their place in the tournament’s playoffs with a 2-0 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt last week, while the visitors secured a top-eight position despite the defeat.

During halftime, though, there was trouble in the stands, with fireworks set off and supporters clashing.

Significant milestone in UEFA’s EURO 2024 sustainability journey as nearly €8m committed from Climate Fund

Andy Elliott — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 12:17:30 +0000

January 21 – The final round of funding from the UEFA EURO 2024 Climate Fund has brought the total investment to an impressive €7.925million, marking a significant chapter in the tournament’s ambitious sustainability journey.

With 225 clubs across Germany now benefiting from this initiative, UEFA has demonstrated that eco-conscious football can extend far beyond the pitch. Initially, the climate fund was set at €7 million, based on an early carbon footprint analysis which predicted EURO 2024 would produce 280,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions,