UEFA boss hails power of soccer to unite

BERLIN — With Spain winning a record fourth Euro title after its 2-1 victory over England, the curtain finally fell on the quadrennial European soccer gala. As it did so, Aleksander Ceferin, UEFA president, told Xinhua that he considered Euro 2024 as probably the best ever, noting that the tournament is on course to achieve a global cumulative audience of five billion viewers.

The head of European soccer's governing body said that UEFA was ready to cooperate with the Chinese Football Association (CFA), sharing the aim of cultivating a future Chinese superstar player who could excel in the Champions League.

Ceferin also expressed his confidence for the revamped European club competition format, adding that UEFA will continue to prioritize players' health.

'Great tournament'

"Everything was amazing. In my opinion, it's probably the best Euros ever," Ceferin said. "Fans enjoyed it, and we have had no major incidents with them. We've seen fantastic football, with top teams. The only issue was the weather — sometimes it was good, sometimes not so much. But, all in all, it was a great, great tournament."

Using just one word to sum up the tournament is difficult, he said, but he offered, "Football unites people."

The 56-year-old Slovenian also noted the narrowing gap between the traditional European powerhouses and others.

"The Spanish team has been impressive. The others, like France, England, and Germany, did very well. I was impressed by smaller teams like Slovakia, Georgia and, of course, my Slovenia, which made me very proud," he said.

With the huge global interest in Euro 2024, Ceferin dismissed the notion that younger generation isn't following soccer as much.

"The reality is quite different. More and more young people are watching football, and — more importantly — playing football," he said.

"We have data to support this. In my home country of Slovenia, for example, over 70 percent of young, registered athletes play football, and Euro 2024 is on course to achieve a global cumulative audience of 5 billion viewers," he added. "So, I am not worried about the future."

Pleased with the success of the tournament in Germany, the UEFA boss also ruled out a repetition of the Euro 2020 format, which was hosted in 11 different countries across the continent.

"Indeed, hosting the Euros across 11 countries was complicated. I don't think such a tournament should be repeated in the future. It's essential for fans to immerse themselves in the host country's culture, getting to know more about its people and traditions. Hosting a tournament in two countries is manageable, but 11 was exhausting and costly," Ceferin said.

"Looking ahead, the hosts for the next two tournaments are already confirmed: the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland in 2028, and Italy and Turkiye in 2032. What happens beyond that is hard to predict, but this tournament in Germany definitely showcases the right approach," he added.

'Fruitful meeting'

During the FIFA congress in Bangkok, Thailand, in May, Ceferin met newly-elected CFA president Song Kai for the first time.

"We had a very fruitful meeting in Bangkok, and discussed possible cooperation. China is a big country with many sporting talents, and is one of the most successful in the world when it comes to Olympic gold medals. But, in football, it is a bit behind. I think we can help a lot. We have the knowledge, and we have a desire to cooperate," Ceferin said.

"Our goal should be to create a Chinese superstar player that will excel in the Champions League. What I see as important, and I spoke about it with president Song Kai, is for China to develop its own football talent. Invest in youth; don't buy old players who can't play in Europe anymore. I think we agreed on that," he added.

The Slovenian lawyer, who was elected UEFA president in 2016, attributed the success of European soccer to its long tradition and financial distribution system.

"Overall, 97 percent of total revenue gets reinvested back into football," he explained.

He was also impressed by the passion for soccer in China, noting that an estimated 300 million viewers watched the tournament in the East Asian country.

"It's quite emotional to hear that 300 million people (in China) are staying awake in the middle of the night to watch the Euros. The Chinese people are the big fans of football, we receive a lot of letters from them, and we know that they are following closely all of our competitions, and we are very proud of that," he said.

"Thank you! This proves that football knows no boundaries, no nations, no races and no religion. It is our game, for each of us to enjoy and to love."

UCL revamp

Under Ceferin's leadership, UEFA introduced a third-tier UEFA Conference League in the 2021-22 season, behind the second-tier Europa League, and the first-tier Champions League.

"The new format is beautiful, and I'm already sensing a lot of positive reactions within the football community. Traditionally, people in our sport are hesitant about change, but I believe this revamped European club competition format will succeed on multiple fronts," Ceferin said.

"There are numerous advantages: the tournaments will be more dynamic and unpredictable, teams will face a diverse range of opponents, and every match will carry significant sporting interest, as each goal could impact qualification or elimination," he explained.

The UEFA president said he was pleased that more teams from a broader range of countries will have the opportunity to compete in Europe, with 108 clubs participating in the group stages of all three European competitions and representing a minimum of 37 countries and regions.

"Furthermore, the new format will generate increased revenue, benefiting the participating clubs," he added.

In the upcoming 2024-25 season, a new Champions League format will feature 36 teams playing a total of 189 matches, instead of the previous 32 clubs and 125 matches.

It is the first time since 1992 that Europe's elite competition has seen such a revamp.

Xinhua