Παραθέτουμε την περιβόητη ( πάντως μόλις 50 και όχι 1000 σελίδων, όπως κάποιοι διαφήμιζαν) ολιστική μελέτη για το ποδόσφαιρο επισημαίνοντας επιγραμματικά τα εξής:
1. Ως προμετωπίδα της υπογραμμίζεται ότι η εφαρμογή των συστάσεων που περιέχει εναπόκειται στην αποκλειστική διάκριση της ανεξάρτητης και αυτόνομης ελληνικής ομοσπονδίας.
2. Ως γενική σύσταση της ΟΥΕΦΑ αναδεικνύεται η προσαρμογή της ΕΠΟ στις δέκα γενικές αρχές καλής διακυβέρνησης (κεφ.2.4) και στις 14 αρχές για την ποδοσφαιρική ομοσπονδία του μέλλοντος ( κεφ.13 )
3. Ως ειδικές συστάσεις διακρίνουμε: την διενέργεια ειδικής συνέλευσης της ΕΠΟ για την διαμόρφωση της νέας σύνθεσης της Γ.Σ. και του εκλογικού συστήματος ( κεφ.4.2), την αντιπροσωπευτικότερη σύνθεση της εκτελεστικής επιτροπής ( κεφ. 4.3), την ενδυνάμωση της επιτροπής επαγγελματικού ποδοσφαίρου ( κεφ. 4.7 ), την διατήρηση τακτικών δικαστών, επιλεγομένων, όμως, από την ΕΠΟ ( κεφ.4.8), την ανεξαρτησία της διαιτησίας και της ΚΕΔ, χωρίς όμως να μνημονεύεται ο τρόπος επιλογής των μελών της ( κεφ. 5.2-5.3-5.8). Στο θέμα των προπονητών ποδοσφαίρου δεν αναγνωρίζει τους πτυχιούχους ΤΕΦΑΑ με ειδικότητα ποδόσφαιρο, αλλά απαιτεί ακόμη και την πανεπιστημιακή εκπαίδευση κάτω από την αιγίδα της ΕΠΟ !!! ( κεφ.7.2).Ως προς την καταπολέμηση των στημένων αγώνων, βίας, ντόπιγκ και διαφθοράς ( κεφ. 10-11) επαναλαμβάνει εν πολλοίς γνωστές σε όλους συστάσεις και ευχές.
Study of Greek Football
arising from the
declaration of intent between
THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC
and
THE UNION DES ASSOCIATIONS
EUROPEENNES DE
FOOTBALL
(UEFA)
and
THE FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE
DE FOOTBALL
ASSOCIATION
(FIFA)
October 2020
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
1.2 Purpose of the report
2. FOOTBALL GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
2.1. FIFA
2.2. UEFA
2.3. National associations
2.4. UEFA’s ten good governance principles
2.5. Independence of national associations
3. FOOTBALL IN GREECE
3.1. Recent history
3.2. Football landscape – football facts,
figures and finance
3.3. Media landscape
4. HELLENIC FOOTBALL FEDERATION
4.1. Hellenic Football Federation
structure
4.2. HFF congress and elections
4.3. Executive committee
4.4. HFF president
4.5. Standing committees
4.6. Audit, governance and compliance
committee
4.7. Professional football committee
4.8. Disciplinary matters
4.9. Regional football associations
4.10. Chief executive officer (CEO)
4.11. Technical director
4.12. Human resources
5. REFEREEING
5.1. UEFA Convention on Referee Education
and Organisation
5.2. HFF central referees committee (CRC)
5.3. Independence
5.4. Violence against and protection of
referees
5.5. Regulations
5.6. Budget
5.7. Referee development
5.8. Referees’ union
6. FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT
6.1. Participation and grassroots
6.2. National player development strategy
6.3. National teams
7. COACHES
7.1. Coaches Union
7.2. Coach Education
8. PLAYERS’ UNION
9. PROFESSIONAL LEAGUES
10. INTEGRITY
10.1. Match‐fixing
10.2. Anti‐doping 86
11. SAFETY AND SECURITY
12. FINANCIAL OVERVIEW
13. FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE OF FOOTBALL
IN GREECE
13.1. Model for the future of the HFF
14. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
15. THE WAY FORWARD
16. ANNEXES
FIFA
and UEFA would like to underline that the contents of this study are of a
recommendatory
nature.
FIFA and UEFA strongly encourage the implementation of the recommendations
contained in the study as they would help Greek football overcome some of its
most important challenges.
However,
FIFA and UEFA acknowledge that the endorsement and implementation of the recommendations
are ultimately left to the discretion of the Hellenic Football Federation as an
independent and autonomous association.
1.
INTRODUCTION
On 25
February 2020, the Hellenic Republic, the Union des Associations Européennes de
Football (UEFA) and the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA)
signed a declaration of intent. The result of wide‐ranging discussions between
the Greek government and UEFA/ FIFA, the declaration serves to facilitate
cooperation with the Hellenic Football Federation (HFF), the national governing
body for football in Greece, aimed at the development of Greek football.
This
cooperation is based on recognition of football’s importance in Greek society,
its benefits for the physical and mental health of the Greek people, and its
role in contributing to social values such as education and citizenship, as
well as economic activity.
UEFA
and FIFA are pleased to work collaboratively with the Greek government and to
have compiled this study, which helps to map a pathway to a better future for
Greek football, with consequential benefits for Greece as a society and a
nation.
1.1
Background
Football
occupies a special place for the Greek nation and its people. The passion with
which football is regarded in Greece is unique. Football has an impact on many
aspects of Greek society and is recognised by almost every Greek citizen. Loved
by many of its people, football is in Greece’s DNA. In more recent times,
however, football in Greece has also been affected by a number of negative
influences that have hindered the natural and progressive development of the
game.
Greek
football has numerous stakeholders and a variety of influencing factors. The
breadth of stakeholders reflects the scale of the game, which is mirrored in
the levels of participation, interest, media coverage, opinion and commentary
on football. Football in Greece faces many serious challenges both on and off
the field. Among the key aspects for the future of Greek football are the links
between all parts of the game and its stakeholders, which ensure it is actively
promoted and can flourish in a sustainable way in the best possible
environment. The aim now is to harness this passion for and commitment to the
game by adopting a common strategy for the HFF and Greek football as a whole,
supported by all its stakeholders. The potential impact that the broad range of
stakeholders in Greek football can have if they work together is an important
weapon in breaking down many of the barriers to a successful football
landscape. These stakeholders can also play a key role in working with the HFF
not just to develop the game itself but to reach out to all its supporters.
While this study is the result of collaboration between FIFA and UEFA and the
Greek government, the fans, clubs, media, sponsors and regional associations
all have an important role to play and are all part of the future of football
in Greece. UEFA recognises the very significant contribution that Greece and
its football community have made to the European game over many decades and is
fully supportive of the HFF’s efforts to deliver change going forward. The
relevance of football to the people of Greece is significant and UEFA is
committed to playing its part in the future, long‐term success of football in
the country
1.2
Purpose of the report
This
report reflects the work conducted by FIFA, UEFA and their partners and agents
on a range of significant topics affecting Greek football. It also makes
reference to examples of international best practice, general European football
benchmarks and international comparisons. The study serves to evaluate and
quantify the issues and challenges facing Greek football in the fundamental
areas affecting the game and the HFF. It also forms the basis of a framework
for the sustainable future of Greek football and a methodology with which this vision
can be fulfilled. This holistic study considers key questions affecting Greek
football and promotes a framework for the future in which Greek football can
serve as a case study for positive change. The matters addressed in this report
include:
football governance structures
analysis of football in Greece
football development – participation levels, national
teams and the professional game
integrity issues – match‐fixing, anti‐doping and
disciplinary matters
safety and security – violence in Greek football
refereeing
the financial landscape of football
HFF organisational structures
The
insights gathered by UEFA and FIFA and shared in this report include strong
material data concerning issues which, if addressed, can lead to a better
future for Greek football. The study also makes reference to international benchmarks
and best practice across other national associations within the UEFA and FIFA
football family, as well as Football Federations of the Future (FFF), an
initiative launched by UEFA, its 55 member associations and multiple
stakeholders, including sponsors, broadcasters, governments and experts from
around the globe, in order to formulate what a national association could or
should look like by 2024 depending on a number of factors. The report outlines
a future for the growth and development of football in Greece via a framework
that represents international best practice and charts a path forward with all
relevant stakeholders for the benefit of all those interested or invested in
football in the country.
2. FOOTBALL GOVERNANCE
STRUCTURE
Football
is played at both amateur and professional levels all across Europe. Football
activity is like no other, it is arguably the only true global game and its
influence cuts across economic, political and cultural spheres Association
football is controlled by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association
(FIFA) and organized in accordance with the Laws of the Game.
UEFA
– the Union of European Football Associations – is the governing body of
European football. It is an association of associations and the umbrella
organisation for 55 national football associations across Europe.
2.1. FIFA
FIFA
is at the apex of the global football pyramid, followed by six broadly
confederations that are recognised by but not actually members of FIFA. Each of
these regional confederations organises its own national team and club
competitions. Below the confederations are the individual national associations
which, as well as being members of FIFA, are members of their respective
confederations. They organise their own leagues with clubs from their
respective countries. FIFA, a not‐for‐profit association based in Switzerland,
is governed by the Swiss Civil Code and has 211 member associations.
FIFA
only recognises one national association and one league pyramid in any one
country, thus preserving the global pyramid of world football. The key
advantage of this pyramid is that it provides a stable operating and regulatory
environment for football development and competitions, as reflected in FIFA’s
responsibility for drawing up a single, coordinated, annual international match
calendar that facilitates the organisation of international cup and national
team competitions. Critically, it is the maintenance of the integrated football
pyramid with the agreement of all football’s key stakeholders that has helped
football become the world’s most popular participation and spectator sport.
Moreover,
it has given rise to several hugely successful commercial revenue‐generating
activities from which national football associations have benefited.
FIFA’s
overarching goal, enshrined in its statutes, is “to improve the game of
football constantly and promote it globally in the light of its unifying,
educational, cultural and humanitarian values, particularly through youth and development
programmes” (FIFA Statutes, September 2020, Article 2(a)).
As
the governing body of world football, FIFA performs a number of important regulatory
roles in collaboration with the regional confederations and national
associations:
1.
Ensuring compliance with the Laws of the Game
2.
Regulating players’ statuses and transfers
3.
Ensuring that there is only one association and league structure per member
country, thus guaranteeing the operating integrity of the global football
pyramid
4.
Maintaining, together with the relevant confederations, football’s independence
from undue political interference by third parties (for example, interference
in the election of national association officials.
5.
Regulating and protecting the health of national team competitions. Clubs are
compelled to release
players
called up for national team competitions unless they are injured
6.
Regulating players’ agents
Organisation of FIFA
The
supreme legislative body of FIFA is the FIFA Congress, which is made up of representatives
of all 211 member associations.
The
FIFA Council is the key strategic and oversight organ chaired by the FIFA President
and comprising a total of 37 members. The FIFA Council was established in 2016,
replacing the 24‐member FIFA Executive Committee, and is described as a
non‐executive, supervisory and strategic body that sets the vision of FIFA and
global football.
The
office of FIFA president is an executive position that can be held for a maximum
of three four‐year terms. FIFA fulfils an important role in organising and
policing the Laws of the Game in partnership with IFAB, holds an important
football development function via the FIFA Forward programme and the
organisation of a range of international football competitions, has proved
highly successful in developing revenue generation from the FIFA World Cup,
enabling it to make substantial solidarity payments to its member associations,
and implements important regulatory functions in collaboration with the regional
confederations and national associations.
2.2. UEFA
UEFA
is the governing body of European football and one of the six regional confederations
recognised by FIFA. UEFA membership is open to national associations situated
in the continent of Europe (based in a country which is recognised as an
independent state by the majority of members of the United Nations). Each of
its 55 members has the same rights, regardless of its population size or
economic power. UEFA is a not‐for‐profit association and, like FIFA, recognises
only one association and one league pyramid in any country, thus preserving the
global pyramid of football in Europe.
UEFA’s
primary objective is the promotion of football in Europe, based on the
principles of sporting solidarity (redistribution of resources from the elite
professional game to the grassroots) as part of a sporting pyramid, working in
partnership with its member associations and FIFA. Its other objectives include
to deal with all questions relating to European football, promote football in a
spirit of unity, solidarity, peace, understanding and fair play, without any
discrimination on grounds of politics, race,
religion,
gender or any other reason, safeguard the values of European football, promote
and protect ethical standards and good governance in European football,
maintain relations with all stakeholders involved in European football, and
support and safeguard its member associations for the overall well‐being of the
European game.
Organisation
of UEFA
The
UEFA Statutes form the basis for the implementation of regulatory policy across
UEFA’s 55 member associations through the principle of subsidiarity, whereby
the national associations implement the decisions of the UEFA Congress in a
manner consistent with local conditions.
The
most important UEFA organ is the UEFA Congress, which elects the president, the
Executive Committee and the European members of the FIFA Council. Moreover, the
UEFA Congress sets the operating framework for the president and the Executive
Committee. A series of committees made up of national association representatives
advise on the drafting and implementation of UEFA policy.
The organisational structure of UEFA
UEFA and the stakeholder
engagement principle
Historically,
UEFA has formed part of a tiered hierarchical organisational structure that
also includes the national associations and clubs. However, in response to the
changing environment of European football, it has also developed a
complementary lateral structure with various stakeholders (leagues, clubs,
players and supporters).
Two
key vehicles for implementing UEFA’s stakeholder engagement strategy are the
UEFA Executive Committee and the Professional Football Strategy Council.
The
UEFA Executive Committee is UEFA's supreme executive body. It comprises the
UEFA president and 16 other members, including‐ at least one female, elected by
the UEFA Congress, as well as two members elected by the European Club
Association (ECA) and one member elected by European Leagues, ratified by the
Congress, all with the same rights and duties as the other Executive Committee
members.
The
Professional Football Strategy Council is chaired by the UEFA president and
made up of representatives of the European Leagues (EL), the European Club
Association (ECA), FIFPRO Division Europe (the European part of the players’
union) and the four UEFA vice‐presidents
UEFA’s role in football
development
One
of UEFA’s key objectives is to develop football in Europe and one of the ways in
which it achieves this is by organising football competitions (men’s, women’s,
youth, futsal, etc).
Over
the years, UEFA has launched several programmes aimed at supporting its member
associations, including financially. The largest of these is the HatTrick
programme, which was launched in 2004 and is UEFA’s major vehicle for football
development.
Financial
instability has been a key challenge for European football for many years. In
order to help clubs, become financially sustainable, UEFA introduced the UEFA
club licensing system and financial fair play.
The
UEFA Grow programme was launched in 2015 and is UEFA’s strategic consultancy
service for national associations, overseeing best‐in‐class templates for
national association development such as Football Federations of the Future. UEFA
has a number of other important regulatory functions, such as combatting
betting fraud and doping, promoting home grown players, protecting young
players and promoting the principles of integrity, dignity, health and respect
for rules, referees, opponents and supporters. Furthermore, UEFA operates an
extensive portfolio of football and social responsibility (FSR) initiatives
through a selection of five‐year strategic partnerships that strive for zero
discrimination and maximum diversity, foster social integration and
reconciliation, and promote active and healthy lifestyles and football for all,
as well as funding a range of football foundations and charity programmes.
Racism and other forms of discrimination continue to be widespread in Europe.
Minority groups facing such intolerance across the entire continent and in football
are persistently subjected to verbal and physical violence and exclusion. The
national associations play a crucial role in adopting a synchronised approach
in line with UEFA’s FSR strategy.
Both
UEFA and its member associations therefore use football as a widely
acknowledged tool for promoting diversity and inclusion, as supported by the
United Nations, the European Commission and Council of Europe agencies. They
encourage an inclusive culture and practice in football which endorses and
promotes the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of each individual,
while embracing differences such as ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual
orientation, culture, national origin, income or ability.
UEFA HatTrick
UEFA’s
HatTrick assistance programme is one of the largest solidarity and development
programmes ever established by a sports organisation.
HatTrick
was launched in 2004 thanks to the UEFA EURO that took place in Portugal. It is
based on the simple idea of ploughing a large proportion of EURO revenue into
football development in three (hence its name) different ways: investment,
education and knowledge‐sharing. By 2024, the HatTrick programme will have made
a remarkable €2.6 billion available to its member associations.
Over
the past 15 years, HatTrick has had a significant impact on the football landscape
in the 55 countries of UEFA’s member associations. It has helped to build
several national team training centres and association head offices. Many
national stadiums in Europe have also received HatTrick funding, either for
their basic construction or for renovation work designed to modernise them and
ensure the safety of players and spectators. Moreover, these investments have
had a snowball effect, with statistics showing that, for every €1 distributed
by HatTrick, other bodies such as national associations, clubs, local
authorities and government bodies invest €3.5 of their own.
Besides
ensuring that as many Europeans as possible can aspire to play football,
HatTrick provides annual solidarity funding to UEFA’s 55 member associations to
support their participation in the UEFA youth, women's and amateur football
competitions, help cover their administrative costs, encourage them to run good
governance projects and integrity activities, and implement the UEFA club licensing
system and various UEFA conventions and charters.
Furthermore,
through the introduction of the UEFA Women's Football Development Programme,
the UEFA Elite Youth Player Development Programme and the UEFA Football and
Social Responsibility Programme, HatTrick has underlined the importance that
UEFA places on these sectors.
As
the governing body of European football, UEFA considers growth and development
an absolute prerequisite to maintaining a sustainable and highly successful
football environment for all and HatTrick is a major tool for this direction.
UEFA
financial fair play – protecting the game
Faced
by serious and worsening financial conditions in European club football, UEFA’s
Executive Committee unanimously approved a financial fair play concept to
promote the game’s well‐being in September 2009. The concept, developed and supported
by the entire football family, recognises the need for Europe‐wide action to restrict
some of the worst excesses of the game. The regulations governing Financial
Fair Play, first introduced in June 2010, are periodically updated to reflect
changes in the football environment, although the fundamental principles and
objectives remain the same:
To improve the economic and financial capability of
the clubs, increasing their transparency and
credibility
To place the necessary importance on the protection of
creditors and to ensure that clubs settle their
liabilities
with employees, social/tax authorities and other clubs punctually
To introduce more discipline and rationality in club
football finances
To encourage clubs to operate on the basis of their
own revenues
To encourage responsible spending for the long‐term
benefit of football
To protect the long‐term viability and sustainability
of European club football
The
rules are built around two main areas: an obligation for clubs to balance their
books over a period of time, and an obligation for clubs to meet all their
transfer and employee payment commitments at all times.
Role of
club licensing
The
successful implementation of the financial fair play rules would not have been
possible without the years of experience gained by UEFA, national associations
and clubs in applying the financial part of UEFA club licensing.
However,
three main distinctions should be drawn between club licensing and financial
fair play.
While UEFA’s club licensing system criteria are
designed to enable an assessment of an individual club’s financial
sustainability in the short term, financial fair play considers the wider
systemic effect of a club’s financial actions in the longer term.
While club licensing is primarily administered by the
governing bodies in each UEFA national association, financial fair play is
monitored by an external body – the two‐chamber Club Financial Control Body (CFCB).
While a club licensing decision is binary, i.e. a
licence is either granted or not, the CFCB has a range of disciplinary measures
that it can apply if the requirements are not met. These are documented in full
in the Procedural Rules governing the CFCB.
Impact
The
financial results of European clubs have improved in each year since the introduction
of financial fair play, with club balance sheets strengthening significantly
(net equity doubling) and net debt to revenue plunging from €1.7 billion loss
in 2011 to €600 million profit in 2017. The facts speak for themselves and
answer many of the critics who considered the project too ambitious and
challenging to implement. The results also explain why the project continues to
receive almost universal support among football stakeholders. It is important
to recognise financial fair play for what it is and is not, a financial control
system designed to reduce the worst excesses rather than an attempt to make
clubs more equal or address other challenges faced by club football.
2.3. National
associations
A
national association is an organisation, generally of an associative nature,
composed of regional associations, clubs and leagues. As the exclusive
governing bodies of national football, national associations are responsible for
the development, promotion, control and regulation of the domestic game at all
levels, from grassroots to international competition.
These
responsibilities are shared, typically in a two‐tier system of governance, by elected
officials sitting on the executive committee/board, who are responsible for
strategic decisions, and the management team, which takes operational
responsibility.
A
clear separation of powers (legislative, executive, judicial and
administrative) is the cornerstone of any national association’s governance structure.
The main bodies of a national association are the following:
A supreme legislative body (congress) consisting of an
assembly of the members of the national
association,
which meets regularly;
An executive body with members elected or appointed to
their positions by the legislative body,
responsible
for making executive decisions on matters that do not fall within the sphere of
responsibility of the legislative body or any other body;
Independent judicial bodies, which take decisions on
any disciplinary and ethical issues;
An administrative body responsible for operational and
administrative work within the national
association
under the direction of a general secretary.
Special
duties and decision‐making powers that do not fall within the sphere of
responsibility of the
aforementioned
bodies should be attributed to other bodies (e.g. electoral committees, audit,
governance and compliance committee, club licensing bodies and national dispute
resolution chamber) and specified in the statutes and regulations of the
national association.
The
members of the various bodies of a national association should act responsibly
and professionally while performing their tasks and duties. In particular, they
should at all times:
a)
act in good faith and with due diligence and care, in the best interests of the
national association, its stakeholders and employees, and the general public;
b)
treat all membership groups and stakeholders equally and fairly;
c)
act in accordance with the highest ethical standards and the relevant
regulations, codes and decisions
of
the national association, UEFA and FIFA;
d)
withdraw from a debate and from taking any decision if there is any risk or
possibility of a conflict of interest.
National association
governance
National
football associations are legally recognised as not‐for‐profit or voluntary organisations.
This implies that any economic activity in which they engage should be for the
purpose of, or in connection with, carrying out their objectives and mission in
accordance with their statutes.
National
associations core mission is to develop and preserve the game of football in
their territory, and profit is therefore not an aim in itself but a means to an
end.
Unlike
other industries, football requires a sophisticated approach that is tailored
in a way that optimises its revenues yet redirects most of its profits into
solidarity payments to support initiatives such as the development of
grassroots sport, investment in personnel and construction of infrastructure.
National
associations are obliged to follow clear procedures and principles of good
governance.
In
2018, UEFA’s Executive Committee approved ten good governance principles that
each association is strongly encouraged to follow. Since 2020, UEFA has also
been supporting the implementation of these principles financially via the
HatTrick programme. It also funds projects launched by its member associations
to improve specific areas of governance that need development. Such projects
should reflect and contribute to the member association’s strategic goals to
improve its governan
2.4. UEFA’s ten good governance
principles
1. Clear strategy
It is
a good governance principle that, nowadays, national associations should not
only run day‐to‐day business but also have a clear business strategy. A
published strategic plan should ideally be implemented for both the short and
medium term, e.g. for one to five years, and should be the result of an
inclusive internal and external process. It is recommended to evaluate the
strategic objectives on an annual basis, to ensure that the strategy corresponds
to the national association’s statutes and, for the sake of transparency, to
publicly communicate it, ideally through the national association website.
Without a strategic plan with measurable objectives, the president and
executive body/board cannot be properly held accountable by the members. The
development of a clear strategy should also be seen as an opportunity for both
elite and amateurs to consult and identify common goals.
2. Statutes
National
associations are encouraged to revise and modernise their statutes. Desirable
minimum requirements are outlined in UEFA Circular letter no. 11/2009 and
certain mandatory provisions to be implemented at national level may be found
in the relevant provisions of the FIFA and UEFA Statutes. It would be
recommended to establish fixed terms for both the president and board/executive
committee members (e.g. term and/or age limits). In addition, a system of
checks and balances should be in place to avoid excessive concentration of
power in one person while, at the same time, adequate arrangements should
ensure continuity in the work of relevant bodies (for example, partial renewals
to have at least one third of members in office at each renewal).
Executive
committees/boards of the national associations should have balanced gender
representation (diversity) and it is, therefore, recommended to have a fair
representation of women in these bodies and, ideally, in the corresponding
bodies of leagues and clubs as well.
The
statutes should provide for a clear separation of powers (e.g.
legislative/executive, executive/administrative, and independent judicial
bodies), a definition of rights and obligations of the members, a clear
indication of responsibilities and decision‐making bodies, as well as minimum
provisions related to ethics. The statutes should also guarantee a democratic
process with free elections, stakeholder consultation, regular general
assemblies and definition of roles and powers of the president, board/executive
committee and administrative body.
Finally,
it is recommended that the revision process for statutes takes place in
specific working groups (where necessary including FIFA and UEFA).
3. Stakeholder involvement
Stakeholders
(i.e. clubs, leagues, players, coaches, referees, supporters) but also other
interest groups, such as political bodies, media and relevant NGOs, are
important partners for the overall development of football at national level.
Therefore, it is recommended to recognise and consult them on a regular basis. National associations are free to
decide on the precise degree of stakeholder involvement, be it at
board/executive committee, standing committee or working group level and
stakeholders are expected to work closely with the national associations in
order to support mutually agreed objectives. In countries where
professional football exists, social dialogue should be formalised and national
associations are expected to ensure that the minimum requirements for standard
player contracts are implemented at national level, as unanimously agreed by
the XXXVI Ordinary UEFA Congress, in Istanbul, on 22 March 2012.
It
could also be assessed whether the relationship between professional and grassroots
football could be based on a contractual agreement, in the framework of which
the reciprocal activities are being negotiated.
4. Promotion of ethical
values, integrity and good governance
Ethical
values and good governance should be incorporated as statutory objectives.
There should be an overall strengthening of ethical principles, in particular,
the principles of integrity, honesty, fiduciary responsibility, loyalty, and
sportsmanship. Rules should be put in place to avoid, or mitigate (e.g. through
disclosure), conflicts of interests, and to tackle the threat of corruption,
whether it be as a result of offering or accepting gifts, bribes, or any other
abuse of office. There should be robust internal control procedures to combat
such phenomena and, in particular, to ensure that all bidding and voting is
always transparent and compliant. These principles must apply to everybody,
e.g. members, stakeholders, staff and volunteers. National associations are
invited to specifically address ethics matters either in their disciplinary
rules or via a specific code of ethics. Furthermore, the bodies applying such
rules must be protected from any form of undue pressure or political
interference, meaning that the independence of these bodies, as well as their
secretariats, must be guaranteed.
Finally,
national associations are invited to invest in relevant communication, training
and education
programmes
(e.g. compliance/ ethics/integrity training, women’s leadership programme).
5. Professionalism of
committee structures
The
standing committees of national associations play an important role as they
contribute to the development of the national game. Consequently, national
associations should ensure that their statutes and regulations contain clear
definitions regarding the work, responsibilities, and composition of the
committees, including appointment rules and members’ qualifications. The number
of committees and frequency of meetings should correspond to the real needs of
each national association. In addition to the independent judicial bodies
(which are mandatory), national associations are encouraged to have at least
the following committees in place: competitions, women’s football, grassroots
and finance. Due consideration should be given to the reality of each
country
and the structure of each national association. National associations are also
encouraged to have a fair gender representation and balance of interests in
their standing committees and to appoint external technical staff or experts,
if needed. Finally, it is of outmost importance that a clear
mechanism/procedure is in place so as to allow a proper
communication
flow between the committees and the relevant board/executive committee.
6.
Administration
The
administration of each national association is the body that delivers the day‐to‐day
business. To guarantee a high quality of work, it is recommended to protect the
administration from undue political influence on operational matters and daily
decisions. Moreover, it is recommended to have an open, clear and transparent hiring
process, to ensure that the most competent candidates are recruited to work in
the administration and, in so doing, to protect the overall interests of the
national association.
As
the image of the administration reflects the image of the national association,
there should be clear guidelines/regulations in place for the use of social media,
confidentiality matters, accepting/offering gifts etc.
7. Accountability
To
enhance accountability, it is recommended to establish a clear process regarding
signatory rights in national associations. In particular, for certain documents
of major importance, it is recommended to implement a ‘double signature system’
in order to ensure that important contracts cannot be signed off by a single
person. As national associations may be exposed to financial losses in view of
the various commercial businesses they run, it is highly recommended to have in
place an adequate insurance. This is in line with the general need for a proper
risk management programme to be in place. For sales or purchases above a
certain limit, national associations should envisage having tender processes to
provide greater accountability and better protect their own financial
interests. In defining the applicable thresholds, the specificity of each
country would be taken into account. Finally, internally, there should be a
clear definition of budgets and responsibilities/competence for
each
division and unit.
8. Transparency in financial
matters and corporate documents
Transparency
is one of the most important principles of good governance, especially when it
comes to financial matters. A national association which is transparent will
have a better image and will protect itself more effectively from any
accusation of mismanagement or undue influence. This is appealing, both to the
general public and to business partners, such as sponsors but also political
bodies (both as potential funders and regulators). For this reason, it is
strongly recommended to have transparent structures and strict financial controls,
both at internal (i.e. the internal control system, including internal audit)
and external (i.e. independent company) level.
In
addition to the audited annual report and accounts, other related as well as
relevant corporate documents should be made publicly available where possible,
ideally on the national association website, provided such documents do not
conflict with the overarching interest of the national associations or data
protection law. It is recommended to include specific sections where the
following documents are made available for download: statutes, regulations,
strategy, background information on the president/general secretary/board
members, committees composition, clear explanations of general assembly and
other bodies’ key decisions (and ideally also meeting agendas), media releases,
circular letters, annual activity report and financial information (as provided
to members), sustainability report, procedure and forms for registration of
intermediaries.
Finally,
organisational structures and contact details of national associations’ members
(e.g. regional
associations,
clubs etc.) should be available on the website and updated when necessary.
9. Compliance
National
associations are always expected to have a system and resources that check that
they comply with their own statutes and regulations, as well as all general
civil and criminal laws to which they are subject.
All
national associations should have a compliance policy and culture. Policies such
as respect, transparency, health and safety, equality/ diversity, protection of
minors, match‐fixing, doping, human rights, fair play and solidarity, and the
fight against racism, discrimination, and data protection are of major
importance and should be reflected in the national association’s strategy and
operations. From time to time, UEFA invites its national associations to adopt
certain campaigns or policies with specific resolutions approved by the UEFA
Congress (e.g. resolutions ‘European football united against racism’ and
‘European football united for the integrity of the game’ unanimously adopted
respectively by the XXXVII Ordinary UEFA Congress on 24 May 2013 in London and the
XXXVIII Ordinary UEFA Congress held on 27 March 2014 in Astana).
10. Volunteer programmes
As
the overall goal of all national associations should be to stimulate
participation in football, it is recommended to have in place volunteer
programmes that will increase the number of people active in all different
aspects of the game, especially young people. Not only will this lead to a
better image of national associations, but it will also establish a stronger
foundation for the future development of football. Especially the significance
of honorary engagements at the grassroots level of football should be emphasised
and acknowledged by the national associations.
2.5. Independence
of national associations
Regardless
of their size, national associations must remain politically neutral and fully
independent. of public authorities and the commercial sector, although they may
receive direct and/or indirect public funding such as lottery funding and
investment in sports infrastructure. They must manage their affairs
independently and without undue influence from third parties. It is therefore
mandatory that executive committee/board members are elected freely in a
democratic manner and steps should be taken to ensure that they do not have any
vested interests in political activities and/or commercial operations. The need
for independence is clearly highlighted in the FIFA and UEFA Statutes, and is
one of the key requirements for retaining membership in the football world.
FIFA and
UEFA Statutes
FIFA
Article
14.1(i)
Member
associations’ obligations
1.
Member associations have the following obligations:
i) to
manage their affairs independently and ensure that their own affairs are not
influenced by any third parties in accordance with art. 19 of these Statutes;
Article
19
Independence
of member associations and their bodies:
1.
Each member association shall manage its affairs independently and without
undue influence from third parties.
2. A
member association’s bodies shall be either elected or appointed in that
association. A member association’s statutes shall provide for a democratic
procedure that guarantees the complete independence of the election or
appointment.
3. Any
member association’s bodies that have not been elected or appointed in
compliance with the provisions of par. 2, even on an interim basis, shall not
be recognised by FIFA.
4.
Decisions passed by bodies that have not been elected or appointed in compliance
with par. 2 shall not be recognised by FIFA.
UEFA Statutes
Obligations of Member
Associations
Article 7bis (2)
Member
Associations shall manage their affairs independently and with no undue
influence from third parties. Member Associations shall provide in their
statutes for a democratic procedure guaranteeing that their executive body is
freely elected and that their other bodies are elected or appointed in a completely
independent way. Any body or decision from a body that has not been elected or
appointed in compliance with such a procedure, even on an interim basis, shall
not be recognised by UEFA.
A
member association that fails to fulfil the above may be suspended or expelled
by the FIFA Council and Congress and/or by the UEFA Congress and the UEFA
Executive Committee.
3.
FOOTBALL IN GREECE
3.1. Recent
history
The
Greek national team caused a global sensation by winning UEFA EURO 2004 after
entering the tournament as the ultimate underdog. Unfortunately, Greek football
never managed to build on this success and experienced tremendous challenges
during the years that followed.
2006
On 3
July 2006, FIFA sent an official letter to the Hellenic Football Federation, informing
it that its Emergency Committee had suspended it following multiple counts of
undue political interference since 2004, violating the principle of
independence.
FIFA
and UEFA had reaffirmed these principles several times via various channels and
in meetings with the Greek government. However, despite these repeated
communications and the government’s promise to amend the law, it had failed to
do so, resulting in the suspension of the HFF.
This
meant that all HFF members (clubs, players, officials, etc.) were suspended
from all international football activity (participation in international
competitions at all levels, organisation of international matches in Greece, etc.).
The
Greek prime minister subsequently invited the FIFA president to Greece for
emergency constructive dialogue, during which a consensus was reached and the
controversial amendments to the sports law were withdrawn, bringing Greek
football back into the international fold.
2015
Greek
football was thrown into turmoil once again in 2015, when similar incidents to
those that had occurred in 2006 brought the HFF to the brink of international
football’s exit door once more. However, following discussions and
consultations, a suspension was avoided at the very last minute.
In
2016, following the resignation of the HFF president and executive committee
members due to judicial procedures against them and other football officials,
new elections were scheduled. However, these elections never took place because
the Greek arbitration tribunal decided to cancel them and dismissed the entire executive
committee.
A
20‐member interim committee was also appointed by the Greek arbitrational tribunal
and under national law instead of the HFF statutes.
FIFA
and UEFA decided to set up a normalisation committee in order to lead the HFF
back onto the right track and organise new elections.
The
normalisation committee was in place for a year and oversaw HFF elections in
August 2017. FIFA and UEFA continued to monitor the HFF by appointing a
monitoring committee and an independent expert based at the HFF’s headquarters.
3.2. Football landscape –
football facts, figures and finance
The
UEFA intelligence centre has carefully assessed 700 sets of financial submissions
from European top‐division clubs every year for the last 13 years. Where required
to produce like‐for‐like comparisons, adjustments have been made and changes to
financial reporting at national level have been requested. In addition, the
UEFA intelligence centre tracks many different aspects of club football,
including:
ownership
attendances
match results
playing squads
rankings
TV markets
In
the following pages, the development of Greek football is put in context, starting
with analysis of Greek club finances and Greek club and national team results
over the last ten years. Greece’s results are then compared with those of four
countries with a similar population size
3.2.1. Ten‐year club revenue evolution,
Europe v Greece
European
club football has seen its revenue grow by an impressive 80% over the last
decade, an average of 8% a year. By comparison, Greek clubs’ combined revenue
has decreased by 28% over the same period. Out of 55 countries in Europe,
Greece is one of only three whose top‐tier clubs have seen their revenue drop
over this period.
This
decrease is even more dramatic when the figures are broken down into revenue
streams, since it occurred despite a significant €25 million increase in UEFA
competition distributions between 2009 and 2018. Domestic TV revenue was
broadly stable but sponsorship and other revenue (donations, grants) both
decreased substantially, while gate receipt revenue collapsed from €65 million
in 2009 to just €17 million in 2018. UEFA competition revenues, which depend on
sporting results and are therefore, by nature, unpredictable, have made up a
third of all club revenues in the last two years, showing a high level of dependence.
3.2.2.
Ten‐year
club bottom‐line
profitability, Europe v Greece
The
introduction of financial controls at European level (financial fair play), combined
with rising revenues and higher transfer profits, have turned annual net losses
of €1.7 billion into net profits across the last three years when the figures
for all 700 European top‐division clubs are combined. The picture for Greece
remains a lossmaking one, albeit better than the record losses of 2011. Across
the decade, Greek clubs have averaged combined losses of €39 million per year.
3.2.3.
Peer group assessment, Greece
For
further context, figures for four peer group leagues are presented. These leagues
were selected because they have either a similar population size to Greece
(Belgium, Austria and Portugal) or cultural commonalities (Cyprus). The revenue
growth in these leagues is smaller than the TV ‘big market’‐driven revenue
growth but nonetheless all four have seen their revenue increase by between 26%
and 57%.
3.2.4.
Number of clubs reaching UEFA club competition group stages
Over
the years, Greek clubs have been fairly successful in qualifying for the group
stages of UEFA club
competitions
(which is when the prize money increases substantially). However, the overall
trend is negative, and the 2019/20 season was the first time that only one
Greek club qualified for the group stages. By contrast, Portugal had five,
Belgium four and Austria three clubs in the group stages.
For
the 2020/21 season, Olympiacos FC (starting as of Champions League playoff round),
PAOK FC (starting as of Champions League second qualifying round), AEK Athens
FC (starting as of Europa League third qualifying round), Aris Thessaloniki FC
and OFI Crete FC (starting as of Europa League second qualifying round) have
qualified for European club competitions. However, the COVID‐19 crisis has
resulted in the qualifying rounds for the 2020/21 group stage being delayed
until September/October.
3.2.5. UEFA club
coefficients in the past fifteen years
The
UEFA club coefficient rankings (based on results from the last five years)
reflect the general downturn in performance of Greek clubs, which have fallen
from 8th to 18th place in the last fifteen seasons. In the meantime, the
Austrian and Belgian club rankings have improved, and Cyprus has overtaken
Greece for the first time. The club coefficient rankings are extremely
important as they dictate how many Greek clubs can access the lucrative UEFA
club competitions and at what stage of the qualifying competition they will
enter.
3.2.6.
FIFA/ Coca‐Cola
World Ranking for men’s national teams in the past 15 years
Greece’s
position in the FIFA men’s national team rankings has fallen dramatically from
20th to 60th over the last 15 years. EURO 2004 success is now a distant memory.
Some countries with comparable populations (Portugal and Belgium) are currently
in the top ten in the world. This highlights that there are player development issues
in Greek football, rather than just financial and integrity‐related problems.
3.2.7. Match attendances in
Greece
Attendances
are a somewhat crude, but nonetheless important measure of the health of club
football. Greek average league attendances remain below those of most
comparable leagues (Belgium, Portugal, Austria and Cyprus). However, the
2019/20 season saw a further resurgence in average attendances, with an average
of almost 6,500 before the competition was halted. This remains one ray of
light in a generally bleak picture, with this figure set to be the highest
average since the 2009/10 season.
By
contrast, Greek national team matches have seen a sharp decrease in average
attendances over the last two years, reflecting disappointing on‐pitch
performances and less attractive opponents.
3.2.8.
Ten‐year
Greek club capital injections/equity increases
There
is a common saying, often used in club football, that ‘the more you put in, the
more you get out.’ However, large financial losses off the pitch have been
coupled with diminishing returns on it.
According
to audited figures received and analysed by UEFA, Greek club owners have
injected equity or raised capital of €352 million in the last decade. This has
been needed to plug the considerable gap between income and expenditure. The
‘big 4’ Greek clubs are responsible for 90% of these equity injections. Owner
injections and capital increases are considerably higher than in all the peer
group countries. By comparison, Belgian clubs have had €138 million of
injections, Cypriot clubs €34 million and Austrian clubs just €5 million over
the ten‐year period. There is therefore a high level of dependence on club
owners acting as benefactors.
Summary
To
summarise, Greek football has had a very poor decade. Despite enormous owner
injections/bailouts, international performances have deteriorated, and club
revenues have shrunk while those in the rest of Europe have grown.
Although
club attendances are moving in the right direction, there remains a strong
reliance on betting‐driven sponsorship markets and UEFA prize money
distributions for revenue.
3.2.9.
Current environment
As
the data in the previous section indicates, since the Greek national team’s
victory at UEFA EURO 2004, the football landscape in Greece and internationally
has changed very significantly. Unquestionably, the opportunity provided by
that historic achievement was not capitalised upon and the chance to grow the
game incrementally was missed during that decade. In more recent years, many
issues outside the HFF’s control have also affected the game and its
development.
Enormous
societal, economic, legislative and technological changes have occurred in the
16 years since the national team’s greatest success. The changing landscape,
including the advent of new technologies, has enabled many of UEFA’s national
associations to grow and develop successfully.
For
some other national associations, including the HFF, the pace of external
change and other factors have proved a very difficult challenge.
As
the data in this study clearly shows, Greek football and its future development
have reached a critical point for all those involved in the game. In summary,
the current environment in which football seeks to survive and grow includes a
number of factors, including:
1.
Only one in three Greek people regard football as their favourite sport. Winning
the interest and respect of the remaining two thirds of the population is a
serious challenge, since football faces significant competition from other
sports. While awareness of football is strong, the negativity associated with
the game has diminished its popularity.
2.
Football development, the core task of the HFF, needs greater attention and
resourcing. To ensure a best‐in‐class professional game, all aspects of
football will benefit from being better connected – from the grassroots through
to elite player and club development.
3.
The HFF is in a very challenging position structurally and requires
organisational remodelling at a
number
of levels in order to ensure a better and brighter future.
4.
Financial issues are affecting football across the globe and the situation in
Greece is extremely
concerning.
As in other countries, the position before COVID‐19 was already difficult and has
been
greatly
exacerbated by the impact of the pandemic.
5.
The passionate involvement of other stakeholders shows that there is great
feeling for the game, but this very often results in negativity. Fans,
sponsors, media, clubs and the political system all have an influence on the
direction, image and sustainability of football in Greece, but the public
perception of the game still needs to be enhanced.
6.
The main focus is on the professional game and the men’s national teams. This
interest and passion
need
to harness, grown and spread across other areas of football.
Although
football has a special place in Greek history, its popularity has been adversely
affected by many factors over recent years. Consequently, the fact that only
one third of the Greek population considers football its favourite sport means
that, while awareness of the game is high and media coverage substantial, twice
as many Greeks consider another sport their favourite.
While
interest in football and media coverage of the men’s game are high, the game’s
image has suffered in recent years because of negative phenomena such as
match‐fixing and violence. The net result is that football’s overall image as a
sport in Greece is badly tarnished, with the sport now ranked only 12th in this
respect.
Another
area of concern in relation to the future of Greek football is participation,
where there is significant room for growth. Almost one in four adults and more
than one in three children take part in the game at some level. These
participation rates indicate that over 60% of children and 75% of adults are
not taking the opportunity to play football.
Favourite
Sport
Other Sport
Football
Adult
participation in football
Children
participation in football
Not
Participating Participating
Not
Participating Participatin
3.3. Media
landscape
As in
many other countries, the media landscape in Greece is experiencing a sustained
period of change and challenge. With a population of more than 11 million,
Greece has a huge number of media outlets, including television, print media,
new media and radio. The environment is extremely competitive, with both
traditional and new media outlets competing for diminishing financial revenues
from consumers. Consequently, the situation in terms of survival, market
position and sustainability is very challenging for many media organisations.
The financial position of the industry in general is dominated by falling
sales, diminishing profits, loss of advertising revenue and pressure on costs.
The rapid growth of new media in recent years and the advent of new
technologies have served to increase the pressure on traditional media outlets,
which further harms the sector’s viability. While there continues to be a wide
selection of TV and print media services, less than half the Greek population now
consider these ‘traditional’ media as an important source of information. While
television remains a key medium, social media have grown very significantly.
Facebook users in Greece now number more than 6 million (almost 60% of the
population), while other platforms such as Instagram and Messenger have a
combined reach of 7 million. These digital avenues and the general tendency to
find information online are replacing more traditional, journalism‐based news
services for many people in Greece.
Media
ownership in Greece is complex, with cross‐ownership of media outlets a key
feature of the media landscape. Greek football is influenced by these ownership
structures and media owners’ relationships with football clubs. Across every
sector – TV, radio, print and online media – football clubs’ relationships with
the media are overt, very visible and very strong. Consequently, a lot of media
coverage of the game is targeted in a very divided way. The perception of Greek
football that results from this coverage is always based on one particular
perspective and depends on the media outlet. Commentary on football matters in
Greece is rarely regarded as neutral. This polarised coverage produces an image
of football created by what, effectively, are rival media outlets. While media
all over the world have a duty to report news to their audience, the style of
this coverage and its influence
on a
particular club’s agenda are key characteristics of the media in Greece. Some
parts of the media are also dominated by sensationalist headlines and less than
balanced reporting designed to further the cause of a particular club or
entity. It is inevitable that the type of coverage produced by some media
outlets puts pressure on match officials and judicial bodies within the game.
Within
this environment, communication is a key tool for influencing the public and
forming more positive opinions of the game in Greece. New technologies are
increasingly playing a part in the growth not only of interest in the game in
general but also of participation, club membership and involvement at all
levels. The efforts of the HFF and other stakeholders to promote the game,
convey a positive image, highlight grassroots activities and develop the game
as a whole are not at all effective and the dominant messages tend to focus on negative
aspects of the game. The levels of hatred among rival supporters are not only
reported by the media but may well be fuelled and driven further by the one‐sided
coverage of many media organisations.
4. HELLENIC FOOTBALL
FEDERATION
4.1. Hellenic Football Federation
structure
The
HFF’s structure should be aligned with that of other modern‐day European
football associations.
The
suggested structure provides a clear distinction of hierarchy and responsibilities
within the association. It should be understood that the role of the executive
and standing committees is to strategically guide the association and provide
advice in certain areas. Operational tasks should only be performed by the
chief executive officer/general secretary and the rest of the administration
exclusively and without any interferences.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – March 2021
The above organigramme shows the recommended
hierarchical structure of the association, along
with
the reporting structure and other connections between the various committees
and officials. It
highlights
the importance of the independence of the Central Referees Committee (CRC), to
which the
referees
unit reports exclusively.
Technical matters, including the national teams and
football development, should fall under the
exclusive
responsibility of the technical director.
The importance of appointing a deputy chief executive
officer or deputy general secretary, as
previously
recommended by FIFA and UEFA, is also demonstrated in the above diagram. Such
position
should
be institutionalised in the HFF statutes and regulations.
4.2. HFF
congress and elections
The
congress is the supreme controlling organ of a national association. Congresses
may be ordinary or extraordinary. Ordinary congresses take place at least once
a year, depending on the statutes of the association. The congress, which
should be composed of representatives of all relevant football stakeholders of
the country, ensuring an adequate and fair balance in terms of voting power, is
responsible for electing the association president and the executive committee
members. Further responsibilities of the congress include amending the statutes,
approving annual accounts and the annual budget, electing or ratifying members
of the independent bodies, and admitting and suspending members.
The
HFF congress is currently composed of 69 delegates:
One delegate from each of the 53 regional amateur football
associations (EPS)
One delegate from the Panhellenic Futsal Clubs
Association
One delegate from each of the 14 Super League clubs
One delegate from Super League 2 and the Football
League
According
to the HFF statutes (June 2019 version), “membership to Hellenic Football
Federation is granted to bodies established and operating in Greek territory,
having a set seat and being responsible for organising and implementing
football activities at local or Panhellenic level” (Art. 10 of the HFF statutes)
. Accordingly,
further football stakeholders may be admitted as congress members. The
admission procedure for new members is laid out in Articles 10 and 11 of the
HFF statutes.
FIFA
and UEFA have identified inadequate representation of national football stakeholders
in the HFF congress. The HFF should therefore initiate constructive dialogue
and discussion among all football stakeholders aimed at ensuring that they are
fairly represented in the HFF congress. These changes are required following
last season’s restructuring of Greek professional football involving Super
League 2 and the Football League, and in order to address the absence of
important members of the football family such as the players’ union, women’s
football, coaches, etc.
As a
first step, FIFA and UEFA strongly recommend including the following entities,
which are already listed as potential members in the HFF statutes:
the Panhellenic Football Players’ Association
the Panhellenic Women’s Football Clubs’ Association
the Panhellenic Referees’ Association
the Panhellenic Coaches’ Association
the Panhellenic Beach Soccer Clubs’ Association
Furthermore,
the balanced representation of all stakeholders in the HFF congress should be
re‐evaluated by the Greek football stakeholders family. The HFF must ensure
that all parties, including coaches and players at both amateur and
professional levels, are fairly represented in order to ensure democratic representation
in the HFF. Equally, gender representation and the inclusion of female delegates
in the HFF congress should be promoted and ensured.
It is
important to note that any change to the composition of the congress requires
the relevant amendments to the
HFF statutes and therefore must be approved/ratified by the HFF congress itself
in accordance with its obligation
to manage its affairs independently and without undue influence from third
parties.
HFF
elections
In
their statutes, national associations must provide for a democratic procedure
guaranteeing that their executive body is freely elected and that their other
bodies are elected or appointed in a completely independent way. Elections
within a national association must be held by secret ballot.
A
national association must adopt a specific set of binding rules (e.g. an
electoral code) governing the election or appointment of its officials on a
regular basis.
Elections
are regulated in the HFF statutes, Appendix C of the regulations governing the
implementation of the statutes and the HFF electoral code.
HFF
executive committee elections currently take place every four years, usually in
accordance with the national law in October of the year of the Olympic Summer
Games. However, following a review of the relevant national law provisions
elections in 2020 are to take place in November or December. Generally, it is recommended that this
law be amended in order that elections can be held immediately after the end of
the football season and at least 30 days before the start of the new season.
This will enable the new committee to plan and start the new season
accordingly. The congress also elects the HFF’s judicial bodies and its audit,
governance and compliance committee.
The
electoral committee (Article 54 of the HFF statutes) is in charge of organising
and supervising the election process. It comprises three members (plus two
substitute members) elected by the HFF congress.
UEFA
highly recommends that the newly formatted audit, governance and compliance
committee (4.6) should replace and incorporate the role and responsibilities of
the electoral committee, to streamline the electoral process.
Candidates
for elected positions should be subject to transparent eligibility checks to
ensure that the exercise of their duties and office are not compromised if they
are elected. The eligibility checks should be carried out by the audit,
governance and compliance committee, acting as the electoral committee (as
mentioned above) and include a screening and self‐disclosure process of the
candidates. The results of the eligibility checks should be communicated well
ahead of the elections in good time prior to the election.
FIFA and
UEFA strongly advise their member associations, including the HFF, not to amend
their congress representation and/or
electoral system shortly prior to an electoral congress. Such changes should be
made in adequate time following constructive dialogue among all football
stakeholders and congress approval.
Congress
approval is mandatory for any statutory changes of the association.
Future
steps:
Implementation
timeline – 2021 HFF congress
The entities already listed in the HFF statutes should
be admitted as members provided they
meet
the necessary requirements. The HFF should assist these entities concerned with
this process.
The number of delegates representing Super League 2
and the Football League after last year’s
restructuring
of the competitions, and the above‐mentioned football stakeholders, should be reconsidered
to ensure they are adequately represented.
The HFF should initiate constructive dialogue with all
football stakeholders concerning the
admission
of additional members to the HFF congress
4.3. Executive
committee
The
executive committee provides strategic oversight as the national association’s
executive body. Its members are elected or ratified by the congress. Chaired by
the association president, it is typically responsible for any matter that does
not fall under the competence of another body of the national association. Executive
committee members must not be delegates of the congress, members of the general
secretariat or any independent judicial body. National associations should
establish transparent and unambiguous regulations regarding the work of the
executive committee, namely:
the manner in which it takes decisions;
the requisite majorities and the voting system;
the frequency of its meetings;
executive committee meeting agendas and minute‐taking;
the supply of documents and information to the executive
committee members;
other operational aspects of meetings (chairing,
guests’ participation, media, etc).
Term
limits should be set out for executive committee members.
HFF
executive committee
The
HFF executive committee consists of 17 members:
the HFF president;
the deputy president, representing the regional
amateur football associations;
the first vice‐president, representing the regional
amateur football associations;
the second vice‐president, who is also the president
of Super League 1, ex officio;
the treasurer, nominated by and representing the
regional amateur football associations;
three members nominated by and representing Super
League 1;
the president of Super League 2 and the Football
League, ex officio;
eight members nominated by and representing the
regional amateur football associations.
Only
the president and the 11 members representing the regional football associations
(upon nomination of the regional football associations) are elected directly by
the HFF congress. The presidents of the Super League and of the Super League 2
and Football League are ex officio members of the executive committee, whereas
the three members representing the Super League are elected by the Super
League. Steps should be taken to ensure that major football stakeholders are
represented in a balanced and adequate manner in the executive committee – also
taking into account the importance of gender equality in football – following
constructive dialogue and congress approval of relevant amendments of the HFF
statutes. However, this should not be done by increasing the number of
executive committee members, which is already high with 17 members. Meetings of
the executive committee are always attended by the CEO and/or his or her deputy
and members of the HFF administration according to the needs.
Meetings of the executive
committee are not open to the public. The president as well as the executive
committee may however invite third parties to attend:
a. meetings on a regular basis as
observers
b. all or part of a meeting if
deemed necessary depending on the agenda
These parties may include
representatives from coaches’ union, players’ union, women’s football and other
football stakeholders.
Furthermore, the Central Referees
Committee chairman must be present at executive committee meetings whenever an
item related to refereeing matters is included in the agenda.
Currently,
there are no female members on the executive committee. A more balanced gender
representation on the executive committee should be ensured, e.g. by
attributing at least one position reserved to a female member. Moreover, it is
recommended that the executive committee should delegate decision‐making powers
on matters relating to professional football to the Professional Football
Committee (cf. chapter 4.7) Term limits are a well‐established good governance
tool and widely applied in football associations nowadays. It is therefore
strongly recommended to introduce term limits for the members of the HFF
executive committee. The HFF executive committee meets at least every two
months and a press conference should be held following each meeting in order to
present its decisions and answer any questions. This will assist the public’s
perception
of
the integrity of its decisions and of football in general. Similarly, as with
the president, term limits should be introduced for executive committee
members. In addition, adequate arrangements could be foreseen in order to
ensure continuity of the work – i.e. partial renewals in order to have at least
on third of members in office at each renewal. As mentioned, at chapter 4.2,
eligibility checks should be carried out on all candidates for the HFF
executive committee in order to verify their background and ensure that the
exercise of their duties will not be compromised if they are elected. As
indicated previously, these checks, consisting of a screening and
selfdisclosure process, should be carried out by the audit, governance and
compliance committee. Decisions are reached by a simple majority (more than
50%) of the votes cast, with the president having the casting vote in the event
of a tie.
The
emergency committee deals with all matters requiring an immediate decision
between two executive committee meetings. It is composed of the president, the
two vice‐presidents, the treasurer and one other executive committee member
chosen by the president on a case‐by‐case basis.
Executive
committee members should be bound by a code of procedure and communication in
order to guarantee the confidentiality of the meetings and decision‐making.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – 2021 HFF congress
Ensure adequate representation of major football
stakeholders and gender equality representation
in
football in the executive committee without increasing the number of the
members
Draw up executive committee rules including a code of
procedure and communication
Ensure the confidentiality of executive committee
meetings
Term limits should be introduced for the members of
the executive committee
Executive committee should delegate some of its
decision‐making power on matters relating to
professional
football to the PF
4.4. HFF president
The
president’s primary role should be to represent the association’s interests as
the legal head of the
organisation.
The HFF president represents the HFF and chairs its congress and meetings of
its executive and emergency committees as well as other committees of which
he/she is appointed chair. According to the current HFF statutes, the president
is primarily responsible for:
implementing the decisions passed by the congress and
the executive committee through the
administration;
ensuring the effective functioning of the HFF bodies
in order that they achieve the objectives described in the statutes;
supervising the work of the administration;
relations between the HFF and its members, FIFA, UEFA,
political bodies and other organisations.
The
HFF president should also be responsible for relations between the HFF and
international organisations, other Greek football stakeholders (leagues, clubs,
etc) and other sport stakeholders (Greek Olympic Committee, etc). He should
also be responsible for relations between the HFF and public authorities The
president should implement the decisions of the HFF congress and executive committee
as well as ensure that the HFF implements the strategy approved by the
congress.
The
president should carry out these responsibilities in consultation with the HFF
executive committee. The 2019 HFF congress adopted a recommendation from UEFA
and FIFA that the president should be able to act as executive president in
order to dedicate sufficient time to deal with all the challenges facing the
HFF.
The
president should implement a number of good governance reforms to ensure the
HFF is built on solid foundations and can consolidate its communication and
collaboration with key football stakeholders. It would be an asset if the
president of the federation has a good knowledge of one of the official
FIFA/UEFA languages.
4.5. Standing committees
Standing
committees are advisory bodies to the executive committee covering specific
thematic areas. Their members are appointed by the executive committee and
should be knowledgeable about the relevant thematic area. Standing committees
should conduct their business according to specific regulations issued by the executive
committee. Unless explicitly granted, standing committees do not have any
decision‐making powers. They report back and can make recommendations to the
executive committee.
HFF
standing committees
The
HFF standing committees are as follows:
Finance committee
Audit, governance and compliance committee
Competitions committee
Technical committee
Referees’ committee
Women’s football committee
Medical committee
Players’ status committee
Stadium and security committee
Professional football committee
Except
for the audit, governance and compliance committee and the referees’ committee,
at least one member of each standing committee should be a member of the
executive committee. Standing committee members, who must fulfil certain
independence criteria, are appointed by the executive committee with the
exception of the members of the audit, governance and compliance committee, who
are elected by the HFF executive committee and ratified by the congress.
Furthermore, it must be noted that the members of the audit, governance and
compliance committee must fulfil certain independence criteria, similarly with
the judicial organs.
Committee
members should have the capacity, experience and knowledge required to fulfil
the tasks and responsibilities of their respective committees. Relevant skills,
education, experience and integrity are the main attributes required.
At
present, HFF committee members interfere in the operations of the HFF administration
on a daily basis, telling HFF employees how to fulfil their duties. It should
be made clear that committee members should not in any way interfere with the
association’s day‐to‐day business and operations and that their function is
clearly separate from that of the HFF administration.
The
number of HFF standing committees should not be increased any further. If
necessary, ad‐hoc committees may be established for specific purposes for a
limited period of time (see Good Governance principle 5, page 16). Furthermore,
unless otherwise stipulated in the HFF statutes and regulations, standing
committees should stick to their function as advisory bodies to the executive
committee.
organizational
regulations, in which the new HFF’s organisational Each committee’s function
and terms of reference should be governed by the amended HFF structure should
be clearly defined.
The
HFF organisational regulations should also stipulate the terms of reference of:
the
emergency committee;
the
professional football committee;
match
officers and instructors;
the
audit, governance and compliance committee;
the
CEO/general secretary and administration.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – 2021 HFF congress
Establish new HFF organisational regulations that
clearly define, among other things, the terms of
reference
of HFF committees. Each committee’s responsibilities, size and expertise should
be reviewed and evaluated. A proper communication flow between the standing
committees and the ExCo should be ensured by establishing clear procedures.
4.6. Audit, governance and
compliance committee
In
order to oversee, guide and monitor the HFF’s activities in terms of good governance,
compliance and risk management, an audit, governance and compliance committee
with the participation of external experts should be established. This
committee should be the transformation of the current Audit and Compliance committee
of the HFF.
The
audit, governance and compliance committee should provide advice and make
recommendations to the executive committee on the most appropriate corporate
governance policies for the HFF, review developments in corporate governance
generally (in regard to policies adopted or implemented by sports governing
bodies), and recommend standards that it considers appropriate and in the HFF’s
best interests, reflecting generally accepted principles of good corporate
governance, while encouraging dynamic and flexible management without creating
undue administrative burdens.
Furthermore,
the committee should oversee the HFF’s efforts to comply with all relevant laws
and regulations, monitor compliance programmes, policies and procedures
required to respond to the HFF’s various compliance and regulatory risks, and
promote the lawful and ethical conduct of all HFF staff and officials. The
audit, governance and compliance committee should also examine the HFF’s
financing processes, including its relationship with other entities , the award
of commercial contracts and selection of commercial partners, as well as the
selection of suppliers and service providers, the distribution of funds to, and
use of funds by, regional associations, and the structure and operation of
related charitable bodies. It should also provide input with regard to HFF
policies on social responsibility, human rights, gender equality and any other
corporate responsibility activities that may affect the HFF’s business
operations or public image, particularly in light of social or political trends
and/or public policy issues.
It is
recommended that the audit, governance and compliance committee is to be
composed of five members elected by the executive committee and ratified by the
congress for a four‐year term. The HFF president should nominate the chairman
and vice‐chairman, whose appointment should be ratified by the executive
committee. Members should have a professional legal, financial or management
background and be well respected in Greek football and Greek society. Members
of the Audit, Governance & Compliance Committee must fulfil a set of independence
criteria to be eligible.
The
independent members of the Audit, Governance and Compliance Committee as well
as any of their immediate family members shall have no relationships or
circumstances which could affect their ability to discharge their functions
effectively and impartially. In particular, they must not at any time in the
four years prior to their appointment or during their term of office, have
been:
a) a
member of the HFF Executive Committee or any other HFF body;
b) a
member of the executive or supervisory body of any HFF regional amateur
association;
c) a
paid official or employee of HFF or any HFF member regional associations.
This
committee should also act as the HFF electoral committee, with responsibility for
checking the eligibility of candidates prior to HFF elections (as mentioned at
4.2). The audit, governance and compliance committee should report regularly to
the HFF executive committee and to HFF congress on an annual basis. FIFA and
UEFA are willing to offer further assistance with the establishment and
definition of the exact terms of reference of this committee.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – 2021 HFF congress
Establish the audit, governance and compliance
committee in line with the above terms and
mandate.
4.7. Professional
football committee
The
composition and operation of the professional football committee (PFC) is
extremely important for the smooth running of and cooperation between the HFF
and professional football stakeholders In accordance with
Article
52 of the HFF statutes, the PFC deals with professional football matters, in
particular the relationship between clubs, players and leagues, as well as with
issues relating to the general interest of professional club football. FIFA and
UEFA have found that the PFC is not operating as it should or meeting
regularly.
The
PFC should discuss and deal with:
professional football competitions (leagues and cup);
professional football calendars;
competition regulations regarding professional
football;
venues for the Cup and Super Cup finals;
any changes to professional competition formats or
structure.
Following
our recommendation at the chapter 4.2 (Executive Committee) the HFF executive
committee should delegate some decision‐making competences pertaining to
professional football matters to PFC directly. Therefore, any changes related to professional football i.e.
competition regulations, competition formats, leagues structure, promotion,
relegation etc. should be decided by the professional football committee.
Furthermore,
the PFC should:
identify ways of improving collaboration between the
various stakeholders of Greek football;
work with the existing professional football
consultative bodies on all relevant issues;
ensure that football remains united, with the
professional and amateur game coexisting within current sports
structures;
discuss other financial and commercial aspects related
to professional football;
discuss matters related to the professional players
contracts’ minimum requirements and other
professional
players matters.
Under
the current statutes, the PFC is composed of the HFF president, the Super League
president, four executive committee members, four Super League members and the
Super League 2/Football League president. In order to enhance the committee’s
status and ensure that players are represented too as key stakeholders of professional
football, it should be composed of:
the HFF president (as chair);
four HFF executive committee members, who represent
the HFF interests and should include the deputy president, first vice‐president
and the treasurer, with the fourth member to be nominated by the president and
ratified by the executive committee;
four professional football clubs from Super League 1
representing the professional clubs’ interests.
These
clubs should be the four biggest clubs based on sporting merit, i.e. total
number of Greek top division championships (Panhellenic Championship, Alpha
Ethniki and Super League). In the event that two clubs are ranked equally, then
the one with the most national cup titles should qualify;
two representatives of the two top professional
leagues (Super League 1 and Super League 2)
representing
the professional leagues interests. These should be the presidents of the two professional
leagues;
Two representatives of the players union representing
professional football players interests. One of the two representatives should
be the Union’s president and the second one to be selected by the
union.
PFC meetings should be chaired by the HFF president and should always be attended
by the CEO and/ or his or her deputy (without any voting rights). Members of
the HFF administration may be invited to participate according to the needs If
necessary and working groups may be set up within the PFC to carry out specific
tasks or examine specific issues. Such working groups may include external
participants (who are specialists in the issue concerned).
The
PFC should be informing the Executive Committee about the decisions taken regarding
all the above mention matters related to Professional football. Furthermore,
the Chairman may invite third parties to attend if he deems necessary on
account of the agenda.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – 2021 HFF congress
Amend the mandate, composition and operational
structure of the PFC in the HFF statutes as outlined above.
HFF ExCo should delegate some decision‐making
competences pertaining to professional football
matters
to PFC.
4.8. Disciplinary
matters
List of
judicial bodies
The
judicial bodies of the HFF include the Disciplinary Committee, the Ethics
Committee, the Disciplinary Prosecution of Football (i.e. Prosecutor of
football related offences) [not previously listed as a judicial body] and the
Appeals Committee.
Composition
and relationship with the judiciary
The
Disciplinary Committee, the Ethics Committee and the Appeals Committee are each
composed of five (5) members. The Disciplinary Prosecution of Football (i.e.
Prosecutor of football related offences) is composed of two members.
The
chair of the Disciplinary Committee, the chair of the Ethics Committee and the
Chair of the Appeals Committee and the members of the Disciplinary Prosecution
of Football (i.e. Prosecutor of football related offences) are seconded to the
HFF by the relevant authorities on a permanent (i.e. full‐time) basis during
their term of office.
The members of the Disciplinary
Committee and of the Ethics Committee are judges from the Court of First Instance.
The members of the Appeals Committee are judges from the Court of Appeal. The
members of the Disciplinary Prosecution of Football (i.e. Prosecutor of
football related offences) are public prosecutors. Members of the judicial
bodies of the HFF should receive specific training on the specificity of
football and dispute resolution in football.
Term of
office and appointment
The
term of office of the members of the judicial bodies is four (4) years. The members of the judicial bodies are
elected by the HFF Congress upon proposal of the Executive Committee and chosen
from a list of judges submitted to the HFF by the relevant authorities.
Staggered terms of office should be implemented to allow for transfer of
knowledge.
Decision‐making
process
With
the exception of the Disciplinary Prosecution of Football (i.e. Prosecutor of football
related offences), the judicial bodies meet and decide in a three‐member
composition, composed of the chair or the vice‐chair and two (2) Members.
Positive/negative
conflicts of competence between the judicial bodies and with third parties
The
role and responsibilities of the judicial bodies within the HFF provide for clear
attribution of competences, in order to avoid positive or negative conflicts of
competence. This should also be coordinated with third parties, such as the
League. For instance, the competence to prosecute defamatory statements
(Article 20A of the HFF Disciplinary Code) during the championship could be
reattributed to the League.
Disciplinary
Prosecution of Football (i.e. Prosecutor of football‐related
offences)
The
Disciplinary Prosecutor of Football (i.e. Prosecutor of football related
offences) should have the exclusive authority to submit cases to the
Disciplinary Committee. Other bodies of the HFF should also be allowed to submit
complaints to the Disciplinary prosecutor for football who might decide to
submit the case to the disciplinary committee. These
bodies may be defined in the regulations as the HFF ExCo, Central Refereeing Committee,
Players’ Union, Referees Union, Super League via its president, etc. At the
case that the disciplinary prosecutor do not refer a case to the disciplinary
committee, the immediate involved body could refer the case to the appeals
committee for re evaluation. In recent years, defamatory, provocative or
discriminatory statements by clubs, officials, etc. have tended to go
unpunished.
Since the media play a very important role in Greek football and statements or
articles frequently create tension around a football match, the championship or
even an individual person, the disciplinary framework and code should be
applied more strictly. Clamping down on defamatory statements will help soothe an
already tense football environment.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – March 2021
The terms of office of the members of the judicial
bodies should be staggered in order to guarantee continuity in matters
requiring sport‐specific knowledge and experience.
Appoint sports judges and prosecutors if possible.
Mandatory training to all members of Judicial bodies
for the football specificities at least twice a year to assist the members on
the decision‐making process.
Reattribute competence to prosecute defamatory
statements related to the league to the League disciplinary bodies
4.9. Regional
football associations
There
are 53 regional amateur football associations (EPS) in Greece. Their
organisation and operation are regulated in Appendix B of the regulations
governing the implementation of the HFF statutes.
The
members of the regional football associations are the football clubs of the respective
region. Each club is entitled to one delegate at the regional football
association congress, which, inter alia, elects the executive committee of the
regional football association. The eligibility criteria for executive committee
members are stipulated in Article 2 of Annex B of the regulations governing the
implementation of the HFF statutes. To supplement the regulations governing the
regional associations, it is recommended that the HFF, as the governing body of
Greek football, following dialogue with the regional associations, establish a
code of good governance for the regional amateur football associations to
ensure they are effectively governed and ready to meet the challenges of modern
football. Strong governance will promote success at all levels as it will
ensure a proper structure, transparency and integrity. The code of good
governance for the regional amateur football associations should be aligned
with the good governance principles recommended by UEFA and applied by the HFF.
The regional amateur football associations are the backbone of football in
Greece and their priority should be to develop grassroots football and increase
mass participation. Each regional amateur association should have in place a
strategy for developing football and increasing participation in its region based
on its specific situation but aligned with the HFF’s national football
development strategy.
The
HFF should support the regional amateur associations by all possible means,
e.g. by sharing knowledge, assisting with administration, planning, etc. and
offering financial support via several development programmes. FIFA and UEFA
fully support the central referees’ committee’s decision to cancel the
appearance fees that referees previously had to pay to the regional
associations. Greece was the only country to operate such a system, which is
contrary to the principles of good governance and the necessary independence of
refereeing. The HFF and the Hellenic Republic must create a support programme
for the regional associations that includes all the above elements, possibly
with additional support from the relevant authorities, so football, governance,
participation and infrastructure can be properly developed across all regions.
HFF administration representative should be appointed to be dealing with
regional football matters.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – March 2021
Create a structured programme of HFF and government support
for the regional football associations. This programme should be aligned with
the HFF’s strategy for football and infrastructure development in order to
develop regional associations.
Create
a financial support programme providing HFF and government funding to the
regional associations under certain criteria and conditions.
4.10. Chief
executive officer (CEO)
The
position of chief executive officer does not currently exist in the HFF
statutes or organigramme.
UEFA
and FIFA recommend creating this role with the task of leading the HFF into a
new era with a focus on the commercial side of the game.
The
CEO is the highest‐ranking executive in an organisation with primary responsibilities
that include making major corporate decisions, managing the overall operations
and resources of the organisation and acting as the main point of communication
between the executive committee and corporate operations. The CEO is appointed by
the Executive Committee upon recommendation of the President.
The
CEO should:
be responsible for leading the association’s
operations and administration;
ensure the effective delivery of the association’s
strategic and business plan;
develop and implement the association’s policies and
procedures;
implement commercial strategies in order to grow
profitability;
establish and monitor operational plans and financial
control systems;
ensure that the association has adequate resources
(including staff with the right skills and expertise) and is
organised/structured to successfully deliver the approved strategy and
performance;
manage the association staff (recruitment and
performance management);
develop and manage relations with contractors and
business partners;
ensure that the association is compliant with all relevant
legislation and safeguarding provisions;
submit progress reports to the president and executive
committee;
develop and maintain a positive and productive
relationship with key stakeholders.
The
CEO should review and evaluate the association staff and restructure where
necessary. This task should be the responsibility of the CEO rather than the
executive committee or other standing committees, as is currently the case.
Additionally, a new collective bargaining agreement should be set in place with
the employees’ union. The new agreement should not only guarantee employee
benefits, as is already the case, but also safeguard the association, its
working principles and the roles and responsibilities of employees and
employer. Furthermore, the CEO should be responsible for drawing up internal regulations
and a staff manual. FIFA and UEFA recommend that the CEO has a good knowledge
of one of the official FIFA/UEFA languages.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – March 2021
UEFA and FIFA strongly recommend the appointment of a
qualified, professional and experienced CEO to develop the association,
focusing on commercial aspects.
4.11. Technical
director
Technical
development is a key function for a national association. All football‐related
departments should be supervised by a qualified, professional technical
director who will build the concept of football development in line with the
association’s strategy. This concept will cover all levels of football
(grassroots, youth education, national youth teams, etc.), including the men’s
national team as the association’s flagship and coach education programmes.
The
FIFA Handbook for Technical Directors contains the following detailed
description of the role and
responsibilities
of a technical director:
“The
technical director is the person in charge of defining and leading the national
technical development programmes, therefore preparing the football of the
future. He proposes to the general secretary, the president and the executive committee
(ExCo) a long‐term vision and develops a technical
strategy over several years in order to improve the level of the game within
the country and achieve identified targets on and off the pitch. He and his
department are likewise in charge of the implementation of all activities
related to technical development,
as
well as the control, monitoring and assessment. In other words, he is for the
technical side what the general secretary is for the management side.”
The
technical director’s key responsibilities should include the following tasks:
National teams
o Oversees
all matters related to national teams (men’s and women’s)
o Nominates
candidates for the position of national team coach
o Maintains
direct contact with the national team coaches
o Coordinates
training, travel and matches in consultation with the relevant departments
Mass football:
o Encourages
the expansion of football and promotes the practice of football by as many
people as possible (from grassroots to elite for men and women)
o Acts
as a vector for football’s educational values
o Encourages
the expansion of women’s football, beach soccer and futsal
o Adapts
the forms of organisation of competitions to age categories, time of the
season, sporting infrastructure, skill levels, etc.
Coach education
o Organises
courses for coaches and instructors
o Defines
a coach licensing system (Pro, A, B, C, D) in line with the needs of the
association and
the
parameters set forth by the confederation
o Makes
sure that clubs observe their obligation to use qualified/certified coaches
(linked to the
member
association’s club licensing system)
Elite football (men and women)
o Prepares
the future of national football and works to improve the standard of play in
national
competitions
(senior and youth)
o Reinforces
the competitiveness of national youth teams
o Helps
to identify, train and protect talented young players
o Assists
with setting up training camps for the various national youth teams
o Provides
input for club competition rules (foreign players, young players, format of the
competition, number of teams, etc.
Research and documentation
o Promotes
technical analysis at various levels
o Gathers
and manages as much information as possible on developments in football
o Studies
major competitions and organises thematic seminars
o Produces
documents on technical issues and audiovisual presentations
o Sets
up a documentation centre and audiovisual service
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – March 2021
The technical director should be an experienced former
footballer, preferably one who has
played
at the highest national level and worked as a coach and instructor.
Additionally, they must hold an international coaching licence, ideally a UEFA
Pro diploma. They should be accepted and recognised by football stakeholders as
having leadership, strategic and networking skills as well as organisational
abilities.
The appointment of a qualified technical director and
the enhancement of the technical department is recommended by FIFA and UEFA.
4.12. Human
resources
Employees
are the assets of an organisation, contributing effectively to its successful
functioning. They must strive hard to deliver their best and achieve their
assigned targets within the stipulated timeframe. HFF staff should be led by
the CEO/general secretary while executive committee members must not interfere with
their daily work. They should be allowed to perform and deliver their tasks as
set by their superiors in accordance with their employment contracts.
The
evaluation of the current staff and clear definition of job descriptions with
duties and responsibilities for all employees should be permanently performed. Additionally,
the collective bargaining agreement between HFF and employees, at the case that
it will not be cancelled, should be discussed and amended so to protect the
interests of all parties.
UEFA
has provided detailed guidance to the HFF human resources department (see Annex
8), highlighting key issues and proposed improvements.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – March 2021
HFF executive committee members must not interfere
with the employees’ day‐to‐day
work.
Implement the pending reforms proposed by the UEFA HR
department (it is understood
that
some of the suggestions have already started to be implemented).
5.
REFEREEING
5.1. UEFA
Convention on Referee Education and Organisation
Refereeing
is one of the most sensitive areas of football.
In
view of the sensitivity and importance of refereeing in football, UEFA
identified the need to:
promote the role of match officials and refereeing
specialists in football at both international and
national
level;
improve the quality of match officials and refereeing
specialists at all levels of the game by incorporating specific rules aimed at standardising
and enhancing their status and education as well as the way refereeing is
organised within the different UEFA member associations;
define the legal and professional status of match
officials and ensure that the refereeing organisations within the UEFA member
associations remain uninfluenced by other bodies such as governments, leagues
or clubs;
recognise the essential role that match officials and
refereeing specialists have to play in football in
order
to uphold the values of fair play and protect both the players and the game;
maintain and improve refereeing from grassroots level
upwards, wherever possible;
recognise the responsibility of the UEFA member
associations to appoint reliable and suitably qualified match officials and
refereeing specialists for their competitions and education and development programmes.
Based
on the above, UEFA created and promoted the UEFA Convention on Referee
Education and Organisation, which national associations should follow in order
to:
a)
guarantee a unified level of education for match officials and refereeing
specialists by setting minimum standards to ensure a comprehensive set of
education and development programmes running from
grassroots
to professional football;
b)
continuously improve the quality and status of match officials and refereeing
specialists by using
appropriate
tools and measures for that purpose;
c) establish a refereeing organisation within
the UEFA member associations that is not controlled or influenced by other
bodies such as governments, leagues or clubs;
d)
provide a framework for defining the legal and professional status of match
officials in the UEFA member associations.
Each
national association that is party to the convention has specific rights and
obligations to pursue the aims outlined above.
Rights
and duties of UEFA member associations that are parties to the convention
1.
When a UEFA member association signs the convention, it becomes a party to the
convention and
agrees
to respect the provisions laid down in the convention and its annexes.
2.
UEFA member associations that are parties to the convention:
STUDY
OF GREEK FOOTBALL – OCTOBER 2020 58
a.
are responsible for handling their own refereeing matters in accordance with
the minimum
standards
defined in the annexes to the convention;
b.
agree to be regularly assessed by UEFA to ensure that these standards are duly
fulfilled;
c.
undertake to inform UEFA promptly in writing of any change in their own
refereeing education and/or organisation.
Greece
has been an official member of the UEFA Referee Convention since May 2010.
5.2. HFF
central referees committee (CRC)
FIFA
and UEFA foreign experts were appointed in 2017, 2018 and 2020 to help the
central referees committee (CRC) restructure the HFF refereeing department and
ease the tension around refereeing. Their tasks and responsibilities included
reviewing the HFF’s refereeing structure, organisation, strategies and
programmes for all levels of the game in line with the overall strategy set out
in FIFA’s Regulations on the Organisation of Refereeing in FIFA Member
Associations and the UEFA Referee Convention. As both FIFA’s Regulations on the
Organisation of Refereeing in FIFA Member Associations and the UEFA Referee Convention
suggest, the CRC must be an integral part of the national association structure
with exclusive responsibility for all matters relating to refereeing in the
territory of the national association, totally and absolutely independent of
the leagues, clubs, regional associations and government. The newly appointed
CRC reviewed and amended the HFF refereeing regulations and worked on the
overall structure of refereeing and referee development in the country.
Furthermore,
as mentioned in section 4.10, the CRC should be eligible to submit cases of defamatory
or controversial statements against its members to the football prosecutor.
CRC
chairman and members
UEFA
and FIFA, based on their evaluation of current conditions, have proposed that
the CRC should appoint foreign experts for the next two seasons in order to
carry out further planning, restructuring and development of refereeing in
Greece.
Furthermore,
the CRC chairman must attend HFF Executive Committee meetings particularly
whenever an item related to refereeing is included in the agenda.
Current
refereeing structure
The
current structure of refereeing in Greece is aligned to the FIFA and UEFA guidelines.
Based on the specific situation of Greece, further developments and
modifications may be needed in order to guarantee the independence of referees
at all levels. The CRC is the highest ranked refereeing committee in Greece.
It is
responsible for appointing referees in the top three leagues as well as for referee
promotion, demotion and education/training. Every regional association has its
own referees committee that manages referee appointments, promotion, demotion
and education at local level.
The
referee categories in Greece are now as follows:
male referees are divided into categories C6, C5 and
C4 for regional association competitions, and
categories
C4 Advanced, C3, C2 and C1 for national competitions;
male assistant referees are divided into categories
ARC1, ARC2 and ARC3;
female referees and assistant referees can be included
in any of the aforementioned categories;
female referees and assistant referees are also
divided into categories WomC1 and WomC2 for national women’s competitions.
Male
categories C6, C5 and C4 fall under the remit of the regional association
referees’ committees.
The
CRC is responsible for the appointment, promotion, demotion and education/training
of referees in category C4 Advanced and above (C3, C2 and C1).
This
structure is in line with the international standards set out in FIFA’s regulations
and the UEFA Referee Convention.
The
CRC regulations (see Annex 6) describe in detail all the processes and procedures
regarding the various referee categories, including promotion and demotion.
5.3. Independence
It is
important to highlight the need for referees to be independent. Therefore, the
CRC and the regional referees’ committees must be completely independent, both
practically and technically, of all other football stakeholders, including
associations, leagues, clubs and political bodies. These committees must act
autonomously when drafting, approving and implementing refereeing regulations, including
provisions on the ranking, promotion, demotion, exclusion and development of
referees. Furthermore, the provision
– unique in European football – in the refereeing regulations requiring referees
to pay a percentage of their appearance fees to their regional football association
has been withdrawn. This provision raised serious doubts about the independence
of referees, as well as ethical considerations. FIFA and UEFA strongly support
the removal of the requirement for referees to pay a percentage of their fees
to the regional football associations. This will safeguard the independence
and autonomy of referees and refereeing in Greece.
5.4. Violence against and
protection of referees
Appropriate
discussions concerning the safety and security of referees should be initiated
with all the relevant bodies and authorities. Unfortunately, many physical
attacks and violent incidents targeting referees have been reported in Greece
in recent years without any real measures being taken (by either the state or
the HFF) to protect referees or convict those responsible. Attacks on referees,
such as those reported in 2018 and 2019, cannot be tolerated. Furthermore,
defamatory, abusive and controversial statements about referees by club
officials, media and supporters are an everyday occurrence. Here again, no
concrete action has been taken to prevent this. Referee protection and safety
measures will help to strengthen referees’ self‐esteem and improve their
performances on the pitch. Additionally, many threats against referees
appointed for specific matches have been reported in recent years, either
before or after the matches concerned. Such incidents should be treated confidentially
and appropriately by the relevant authorities in order to protect the safety
(most importantly) and integrity of refereeing. Moreover, we have witnessed
that in recent years an increased number of court cases against the CRC and
match officials brought by football clubs in Greece. As per Law 5 of the Laws
of the Game, the referee has full authority to enforce the 17 laws. Their
decisions are final and not subject to appeal. Football is considered a
fast‐moving game and referees could not reasonably be expected to avoid errors
of judgement, oversights or lapses.
A
referee owes a duty of care and the standard of care is reasonable in all the
circumstances.
Therefore,
a law amendment is needed which will protect match officials and from being
subject to lawsuits regarding sporting errors. No match officials will want to
take up refereeing of any sport in Greece if there is constant threat of
lawsuits for decisions made on the field of play.
5.5. Regulations
Since
foreign experts were appointed to the CRC in 2017, numerous amendments have
been made to the HFF refereeing regulations. Refereeing regulations (as stated
by FIFA and UEFA in official letters sent to the HFF) must be exclusively composed
and drafted by the CRC. They should only be presented to the executive
committee and other bodies for information and endorsement.
This
strengthens the independence of refereeing from any other football body or
stakeholder.
Amendments
to the refereeing regulations made under the guidance of FIFA and UEFA experts
in recent years have concerned matters such as:
the rights and obligations of match officials;
restructuring of referee categories;
readjustment of referee ranking tables;
the abolition of appearance fee payments to regional
associations;
a new performance assessment process;
creation of the refereeing academy;
creation of a national development and training plan;
implementation of a talent and mentoring programme.
5.6. Budget
The
CRC must have an annual budget and be fully responsible for its management. This
budget should cover match officials’ match fees, travel and accommodation,
academy activities and other expenses. The salaries of the CRC members, academy
director, fitness coach and refereeing department employees should also be
included in the budget since the department will operate under the full
supervision of the CRC chairman. Income‐generating activities for referees can
be further investigated and explored. Kit sponsorships and/or agreements with
travel and accommodation services will contribute a significant sum to the
overall referees committee and department budget.
As a
guideline, the budget for academy activities (seminars, written and fitness tests,
training and development, instructors’ allowances) should be approximately 10%
of the overall refereeing budget, including the UEFA Convention amount.
5.7. Referee
development
Referee
development is key for the development of the game as a whole. FIFA and UEFA
refereeing experts have planned and launched several referee developments
programmes in Greece over the last few years. These plans should be further
developed in the years to come.
National education and
development programme
In
accordance with the HFF refereeing regulations, the CRC is responsible for:
the technical physical and mental preparation of
referees, assistant referees and referee observers;
the national training and career progression programme
for referees, assistant referees, observers and instructors;
referee registration, integration and detection programmes,
supporting and promoting international refereeing, referee training and
improvement;
developing and maintaining a distance learning
platform for complementary and continuous training;
promoting and organising training and retraining
activities;
STUDY
OF GREEK FOOTBALL – OCTOBER 2020 62
coordinating training courses for referees, observers
and instructors with the regional association
referees
committees;
organising referee instructors training courses.
2020–2024
strategic education and development master plan
The
2020‐2024 strategic education and development master plan for refereeing in Greece
should be designed to develop refereeing in Greece. The programme, will cover
all levels and aspects of refereeing, aims to improve refereeing within all the
regional associations as well as the HFF. It will run for up to five seasons
(from December 2020 to the 2024 UEFA EURO in Germany). The purpose of this
Intervention Proposal for the Strategic Education and Development Master Plan
of Greek Refereeing is to enable Greece's top ten refereeing to be topped in
2024.
National
training centre programme
The
national training programme (NTP) aims to create training centres for football
referees across the regional associations, providing specialist supervision
with physical, technical and, where possible, psychological preparation of
referees.
The
main objectives of this programme are:
1. to
create training centres for football referees in all 53 regional associations;
2. to
promote the implementation of an integrated training plan (physical, technical
and mental preparation) at national level under the coordination of the CRC
academy.
National
promising talents and mentors’ programme
The
national promising talents and mentors programme will include UEFA CORE
activities and will operate at two levels (advanced and elite). It will have
the following objectives:
to identify and select referees with high potential
for development;
to promote the enhancement of referees’ technical,
physical and mental performances;
to accompany, encourage and develop life skills so
referees can understand and adapt more successfully to the dynamic context of
refereeing.
5.8. Referees’
union
Just
like other major football stakeholders such as players, coaches and clubs, referees
need a strong union to protect them and their interests as well as represent
them in football decision‐making bodies. The referees’ union must have adequate
representation and voting rights at the HFF congress. It should be represented
in HFF committees, panels and any other football body that makes decisions related
to football development. Furthermore, as mentioned previously, it should be
able to submit cases of defamatory or controversial statements against its
members to the football disciplinary prosecutor.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – March2021
Ensure that the CRC and regional referees committees
are completely independent of any other
football
stakeholder
Develop the strategic education and development master
plan (2020‐2024)
Establish a strong referees’ union
Initiate
appropriate discussions on referee safety and security with all relevant bodies
and
authorities
To
propose the necessary amendments to the law in order to protect match officials
and from
being
subject to lawsuits regarding sporting errors
Continue
and develop the national training centre programme
Continue
and develop the national promising talents and mentors program
6. FOOTBALL
DEVELOPMENT
6.1. Participation
and grassroots
The
elite level of the game cannot flourish without a healthy base and the fundamentals
of this base lie in grassroots participation. Grassroots is defined as the
non‐professional amateur football in all age and ability groups. In order to
develop a strong professional game, competitive international teams and well
coached players and officials, grassroots development is therefore very
important. Essentially, Greece has the potential to get many more children
playing football, which would create a happier, healthier Greek population and
a greater chance of success for Greek football on the international stage. Grassroots
football is the start of the journey for professional players and investment in
it is essential for the game as a whole to succeed. At a fundamental level,
grassroots football includes children’s football, schools and youth football,
amateur football, football for disabled players, football for veterans and
walking football. In short, grassroots football is football played by the
masses at a level where participation and a love of the game are the driving
forces and where elite players of the future nourish their ambitions. Grassroots
football also benefits society as a whole by instilling values including
teamwork, social development, health, fitness and personal fulfilment. It is
also the starting point for educational, social and sporting development. UEFA
invests heavily in grassroots football to ensure that everybody has the
opportunity to be involved in the game and research shows that when young
grassroots players have positive experiences, their lifelong participation as
players, coaches, leaders, volunteers and fans is more likely. UEFA has
developed the
UEFA
GROW ‘Social Return on Investment’ model, which is an econometric formula
proving the business case for investing in grassroots football participation.
Through
the UEFA Grassroots Charter, a quality mark focusing on grassroots football,
and the UEFA GROW programme, UEFA supports and stimulates the development of
grassroots football at national level by setting standards and providing
tailored assistance. In addition, each national association receives annual
earmarked funding to continually develop and improve its grassroots activities.
UEFA’s grassroots programme encourages national associations to put
philosophies and activities in place that will help to ensure the future of the
game in tandem with the growth and development of elite level players. The HFF
has not had a strong tradition in grassroots development in the past. Over
recent years, however, the situation has improved, and the association now
recognises the importance of grassroots football in Greece. In 2020, the HFF
was awarded UEFA Silver status for its work on grassroots programmes. These
programmes, which benefit from significant UEFA/FIFA support and funding,
include:
Pass to
Schools: The key goal of this project is to provide football
education inside and outside the school environment and to attract students
aged 5–14 to football;
Play –
Enjoy – Learn: This new programme focuses on the
development of grassroots club leaders, coaches, parents and volunteers. One of
its key aims is to improve links between grassroots clubs and schools;
Coach
Education: The key aims of this programme are
to create links between training and work environments, to provide high‐level
coach education based on individual skills in real‐life situations
(reality‐based learning) and to restructure existing coaching courses;
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OF GREEK FOOTBALL – OCTOBER 2020 65
It’s a
woman’s game: This project is focused on women’s
football development and involves activities for girls, new female coaches,
schoolgirls and women’s grassroots clubs;
Hello
Football Friend: This
project aims to attract boys and girls to the football family and promote fair
play. It also contributes to the development of grassroots football in general
and the regional football associations;
Same
field: This
social project aims to spread the enjoyment of the game among vulnerable social
groups (e.g. disabled people, refugees, juvenile offenders) and to help them
integrate into Greek football, society and culture. The programme also creates
greater links between the HFF and NGOs in order to promote the social benefits
of football;
Football
is medicine: This programme is aimed at people
under 40 and focuses on their participation in football. It is run in
collaboration with the physical education and sports science department of
Thessaly University and the Danish Football Association;
Training
the Future: This programme focuses on
developing talented new players, encouraging them to participate in amateur and
professional leagues and introducing them to the spirit of the national team.
It also aims to create an appropriate educational environment for elite youth
players (women and men) and to ensure that youth players (women and men)
receive a good football education (technical, tactical, social, life in sport, nutrition)
and learn important values.
The
aforementioned programmes represent important grassroots football activities
and helped the HFF to achieve gold status under the UEFA Grassroots Charter for
the first time in its history in the ’terms’ and ‘always fair play’ categories.
While it is encouraging that the HFF has put in place certain grassroots
activities, in order to create a long‐term, well‐structured and successful
future for Greek football, continuous focus and support in terms of resources
are required.
Effective
grassroots programmes are a fundamental cornerstone of the elite player
development system. They are, however, a long‐term commitment for any national
association as a means of broadening the player base and ensuring as many
talented players as possible are recognised and given the opportunity to
develop. Good grassroots activities are essential for nurturing talent from an
early age and providing a growing pool of future top‐level players. The status
of the Greek national teams in international competition can be significantly
enhanced by a stronger focus on grassroots development. The Greek men’s
national team was ranked 53rd in
the official FIFA/Coca‐Cola World Ranking in September 2020, while the women’s
national team was ranked 62nd. The
direct links between a national association’s grassroots activities and its
international teams’ success can be demonstrated by the relationship between
two key aspects within any country – the number of participants and the ratio
of coaches to participants. The goal is to achieve the maximum number of
participants at an early age to ensure the broadest base of players are
available from which to identify talent that can then be developed and
nurtured. In order to bring talented youngsters through to the elite level, the
number of coaches must be high and, critically, the ratio of coaches to players
should be as high as possible. To assess the current situation in Greek
football, the following is instructive
In
the men’s game, at grassroots level, Greece has one coach for every 99 players,
while other countries such as Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic and the
Netherlands have an average of one per 25. Fewer than 10% of all Greek males
aged under 18 participate in club football. At elite level, the Greek national
teams (senior, U21, U19 and U17) are ranked 17th in Europe overall, below those
of Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. A similar but even
more acute picture is evident in the women’s game, where less than a third of
one percent of females under 18 play the game. With an average coach/player
ratio of 1:99, the Greek women’s teams are, on average, ranked 28th at European
level. Many aspects of grassroots football in Greece can be improved and developed
with the involvement of all relevant bodies and organisations. Proposals to
enhance the grassroots programme include:
extending participation opportunities in a fully
nationwide way resources to clubs and schools in all 53 regions in cooperation
with the government. Clubs across the country require comprehensive regulation of
standards together with a mentoring approach and a resource development support
structure;
improving links between clubs and schools across the
country in a systematic, coordinated manner in order to enhance player
development on the pathway to professional football;
strengthening the partnership between the Greek
government and the HFF in terms of school football programmes in order to
release greater resources and adopt a more nationwide approach to this project;
expanding coach education programmes to develop more
coaches and a better coach training
environment
in each region, building on the current, more centralised model.
The
HFF would also benefit from help with gaining, coordinating and utilising insights
based on the data currently collected from all its programmes. An IT system
incorporating all regional programmes and activities would add value to the
HFF’s grassroots work. Closer relations with other bodies, organisations and
NGOs would help the HFF to develop and grow grassroots programmes
Although
women’s and girls’ football are already part of the HFF’s strategy, its development
will benefit if it is given higher priority.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – 2021 HFF congress
Enhance
the grassroots programme in Greece, incorporating the above proposals, with the
support of
all
stakeholders.
6.2. National
player development strategy
A
national player development strategy for female and male players should be set
in place, based on the HFF’s overall strategy. The strategy should be based on
the player development principles presented in the diagram below. It is important
for coaches and academies to take into account the specificities of each age
group in order to correctly guide a footballer from the youngest age category
through to the professional game. The HFF should also establish a national
academies manual that will help the academies to set up their training schedules
and plans in accordance with the strategy for girls and boys. The national
academies manual should contain:
general guidance on running a football academy in line
with the HFF strategy;
minimum requirements;
age groups and development plans;
coach education requirements;
processes and procedures for HFF approval.
The
above diagram explains the different stages of player development
Technical
directors, coaches and academies all over the country should plan their
development programmes in accordance with the HFF strategy and manual. Additional
youth competitions and training camps should be held in order to give players
more opportunities to showcase their talent and skills. These competitions will
also help familiarise young footballers with the competitive environment
inherent in professional football so they are adequately prepared for the
transition to the professional game.troduction/ fun phase
Player
development involves:
the HFF
regional associations
coaches
schools
football clubs/academies
The
HFF should invest in player development by establishing the right mix of values,
school and sport. Access to a high‐quality development programme should
therefore be one of its priorities. At the same time, the HFF must enhance its
youth development tools and structures and contribute to the creation of an
appropriate educational environment.
Moreover,
implementation of the strategy should include the launch of a national youth
academy certification process for club academies, private academies and
schools. The main purposes of this will be to:
improve the quality of the player development process;
unify and align the quality of the academies;
improve organisation in the clubs;
improve inclusion of female players into the system
improve strategic thinking in the clubs regarding
player development;
promote the full development of players, including
social aspects, personality, etc.;
improve the overall status of youth development in
club structures.
Special
attention should also be paid to infrastructure and appropriate training and competition
venues, which may be evaluated as part of the national youth academy
certification process. Academies will be categorised using a points system,
with a focus on:
adherence to the national manual;
infrastructure;
equipment;
educational tools offered;
etc.
Any
HFF financial contribution to youth development programmes may be based on this
evaluation and certification process.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – 2021 HFF congress
Establish
the national player development strategy in line with the HFF strategy for both
gender
6.3. National
teams
The
national teams, especially the men’s national team, are the most valuable asset
of a national association. Unfortunately, Greece failed to take advantage and build
on its success at UEFA EURO 2004 and dropped down the FIFA rankings. The
national teams should be under the competence of the technical director, who
will also be responsible for selecting national team coaches and drafting the
national team development strategy. The national team development strategy
should be a major element of the HFF strategy and should also be aligned with
the national player development strategy described in the previous section as
well as with the Women’s Football Strategy that is currently being developed. The
technical director must also ensure that the national teams operate in accordance
with professional and organisational standards. This should include correct
planning of player development and competition reforms that will enable
coaches, scouts and technical directors to identify future national team
players. One of the keys to national team success is the national training
centre. National associations should provide a base for the national team that
meets the highest possible standards, including:
a training centre;
a fitness and rehabilitation centre;
association headquarters;
meeting and conference facilities;
a stadium for friendly matches;
accommodation for national team players.
FIFA
and UEFA, through their Forward and HatTrick programmes respectively, provide
significant support to national associations for the construction and
development of national training centres. They also offer expertise on how to
create a training centre that meets the needs of a modern football association.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – 2021 HFF congress
Set up a professional talent identification process
for girls and boys
Create a national team base (training centre with all
the necessary facilities)
7. COACHES
7.1.
Coaches Union
While
the Panhellenic Union of Coaches in Greece (PEPP) does not cover the entire
Greek territory – a few groups of coaches, especially in the regions (namely
Attica), created their own “unions” – it is the biggest national umbrella union
with affiliated coaches from 37 EPS out of 53. The Union should undertake
efforts and hold productive dialogue with all parties with the objective of
establishing a strong community representing the coaches interests effectively
in Greece. The HFF statutes list PEPP as a potential member. It is recommended,
as mentioned in previous chapters, that the Union is included as a full HFF
member with voting rights on the HFF Congress (cf. chapter 4.2. on the HFF
Congress).
In addition, following the full membership recognition and in cooperation with
the HFF Technical Director and the HFF Coaching department, the Union’s
President may be invited to report to the HFF Executive Committee on key
matters of concern to coaches and to attend the respective meetings regarding
such matters. It is understood that steps have been taken by PEPP for the
official membership registration at HFF. PEPP represented by President Ilias
Logaras, General Secretary Evangelos Prokos and Treasurer Ioannis Kontas held repeated
admission meetings with HFF. The process should be completed, according to the
statutes of HFF, in order to be ratified by the next HFF Congress.
7.2.
Coach Education
As
the situation is now in Greece regarding coaches, it is understood that
The
revised UEFA Coaching Convention (2020 edition) was approved by the UEFA
Executive Committee on 2 March 2020 upon proposals from the UEFA Development
and Technical Assistance Committee and the UEFA Jira Panel, and has been signed
by the HFF.
The
vision is to continue setting high coach education standards and improve coach education
in all UEFA member associations, resulting in better coaches and, ultimately,
better players, and thereby enhance the overall quality of the game.
The key
new features of the 2020 Coaching Convention are as follows.
(i)
The new UEFA diplomas (C, Youth B and Goalkeeper B) have now been included
[Article 24(2)].
(ii)
The content, duration and organisation of the courses have been reviewed,
including the way students are assessed and further admission criteria, with
greater focus on candidates’ practical experience
[Articles
9, 11 and 15–27].
(iii)
The evaluation of competence and recognition procedures for holders of non‐UEFA
qualifications issued by a non‐European national association or an independent
course provider subject to EU law has been taken into account [Article 7].
(iv)
National qualifications for coach educators have become an obligation – a very
important step for the future of coach education [Article 13].
(v)
The further education policy has been updated, with a competence‐based
approach, adjusted number of hours for the holders of multiple diplomas and
more flexibility to recognise further education courses run by other
organisations [Articles 28–30].
(vi)
The convention has been aligned with the UEFA HatTrick V regulations, so UEFA
member associations must submit an annual coach education plan and report on
the status of coach education and the use of the UEFA incentive payment
[Article 6(2)(s)].
For
practical reasons, all convention parties will have a three‐year transition period
to introduce the mandatory C diploma course, the mandatory national coach
educator qualification and the recognition of competence procedures, all of
which need to be incorporated into national regulations.
The
coaching experience requirement must be respected in each licence category, as
regulated by the HFF and in line with the convention minimum criteria or above,
if applicable.
By
signing the UEFA Coaching Convention (2020 edition), the HFF formalised its
agreement with the revised content.
E‐learning
opportunities for the UEFA diploma courses
In
light of the continued impact of COVID‐19 and the importance of following the
recommended guidelines to limit its transmission, UEFA member associations are
encouraged to conduct parts of their UEFA diploma courses in online formats.
The convention parties must ensure that parts conducted online are as
interactive as possible and allow for discussion with all participants in order
to enable the peer learning elements of their coaching courses to continue
happening. Therefore, e‐learning modules or courses are defined as online
courses whose content is fully interactive, i.e. the learners are required to
respond in some form. Passive viewing or reading of material is not classified
as elearning. Thus, documents, videos or PowerPoint presentations in themselves
would not constitute e‐learning in the context of UEFA coach education unless
they were associated with tasks the learners had to perform online. E‐learning
actively involves engaging the learners.
Fitness for Football
Reactivation
of the HFF’s specialist courses for football fitness coaches is strongly
recommended. The roll‐out phase went well and served as a best practice example
for other associations. It is not known why these courses are currently on hold
in Greece.
STUDY
OF GREEK FOOTBALL – OCTOBER 2020 73
Coach
education staff
The
continuity of the HFF’s educational staff must be ensured, especially with the
contracts of key people due to expire at the end of the year.
Cooperation
with universities
Regarding cooperation with
universities, UEFA has met all relevant bodies in Greece, i.e. the ministry of education,
competent universities and the HFF, on numerous occasions. Cooperation at UEFA
B licence level was agreed, provided that the HFF monitored the courses and
ensured the minimum content was respected, and that the courses were delivered
under the auspices of the HFF. This should be promoted further, ensuring that
the HFF’s authority is respected. Furthermore, it should be remembered that
external bodies cannot issue UEFA qualifications. Only the national football
association, as the signatory of the UEFA Coaching Convention, is entitled to
do so.
Future
Steps
Implementation
timeline‐ 2021 HFF Congress
Create a single, united and strong Panhellenic Coaches
Union
Inclusion of Coaches Union as member of the HFF and
adequate representation in the HFF Congress
Identify areas of mutual priority where concrete
cooperation projects can be undertaken (e.g. education and career transition,
fight against match‐fixing, anti‐discrimination, creditor protection
mechanism,
player health, etc.)
Future
Steps
Implementation
timeline – 2021 HFF Congress
Create one united and strong Panhellenic Union of
Coaches
Inclusion of the Coaches Union as member of the HFF
and adequate representation in the HFF
Congress
HFF should continue the Coaches education and development
as per the UEFA coaching convention
HFF is encouraged to investigate possibilities of
holding on line educational courses taking into
consideration
the current impact of COVID‐19 pandemic.
8.
PLAYERS’ UNION
Panhellenic
Professional Football Players Association (PSAP)
PSAP
was established in 1976 to represent the interests of professional football players
in Greece. One year after its creation PSAP became a member of FIFPRO.
Membership at PSAP is open to all active professional footballers participating
in Greece’s professional football competitions, i.e. Super League and Super
League 2/Football League. Former professional players can also become members
under certain conditions. During the 2019/20 season, PSAP incorporated 1’172
members. In 2019, George Bandis was elected President of PSAP. In January 2008,
a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was signed between PSAP and the three
highest football leagues in Greece (Super League‐1, Super League‐2 and Football
League). The HFF acts as a third party to the CBA in order to ensure the
implementation of the agreements reached through the collective negotiations of
the social dialogue. The main component of the CBA are the Regulations on the
Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP), which were agreed upon by the
stakeholders. The RSTP also include a standard player contract. Disputes between
clubs and players can be submitted to the Appeals Committee for the Resolution
of Financial Disputes (PEEOD) as established in the RSTP. The chairperson and
deputy chairperson of the PEEOD are active higher judges. The other members of the
PEEOD are appointed equally by players and the clubs concerned. Rulings of the
PEEOD can be appealed before the Court of Arbitration of the HFF. The
relationship between the HFF and PSAP can be characterised as difficult. Tensions
arose recently in relation to the partial revision of the RSTP. The HFF did not
take up a strong role in coordinating the discussions and amendments were often
proposed by the Super League‐1 without a comprehensive consultation process
with PSP. Eventually, however, a proper dialogue was established and the
amendments to the RSTP were agreed by all partners in July 2020. In addition,
during the COVID‐19 pandemic the temporary suspension of the HFF’s judicial
bodies led to a backlog in open disputes creating further tensions between the
HFF and PSAP. In the meantime, the judicial bodies are operational again. While
social dialogue is established through the CBA, there is no formal and structural
involvement of PSAP in the organisational structure of the HFF. PSAP is neither
represented in the HFF Congress nor on the HFF Executive Committee.
Furthermore, PSAP is excluded from the Professional Football Committee (PFC), a
standing committee of the HFF that deals with professional football matters,
including the relationship between clubs, players and leagues.
The
HFF statutes list PSAP as potential federation member. It is recommended, as
mentioned in previous chapters, that PSAP should be included as a full HFF
member with voting rights on the HFF Congress (cf. chapter 4.2. on the HFF
Congress and Elections). In addition, the PSAP President should be
systematically invited to make direct presentations to the HFF Executive
Committee on key matters of concern to PSAP (such as players employment and
playing conditions) and to attend the respective meetings regarding such
matters. Similarly, the formal representation of professional players on the
PFC should be ensured given that it deals with matters with a direct and
immediate impact on professional players. The PFC can only act as a credible
vehicle for social dialogue if in addition to the HFF, the leagues and the
clubs, the players are adequately represented too. The PFC should also
establish a structured yearly workplan to frame the discussions of the social dialogue.
Future
Steps
Implementation
timeline‐ 2021 HFF Congress
Inclusion of PSAP as member of the HFF and adequate
representation of PSAP in the HFF Congress
Ensure PSAP’s representation on the PFC and,
generally, engage with PSAP prior to implementing
any
major changes that materially affect professional players’ employment
conditions (e.g. RSTP)
Identify areas of mutual priority where concrete
cooperation projects can be undertaken (e.g.
education
and career transition, fight against match‐fixing, anti‐discrimination,
creditor protection
mechanism,
player health, etc.)
Ensure at all times full compliance of the NDRC with
the international requirements set forth in
FIFA
Circular 10
9. PROFESSIONAL LEAGUES
There
are three professional football leagues in Greece, namely the Super League,
Super League 2 and Football League.
Super
League
While
the first national championship was held over 60 years ago in 1959, the current
Super League was founded in 2006 as a Limited Liability Association with the
main objective of organising and managing the highest national football league
in Greece. Its members are the 14 football clubs participating in the Super
League, down from 16 following a reform of professional competitions in 2019.
Mr Leonidas Boutsikaris (Vice‐President of Panathinaikos) was elected as
president of the Super League on 19 June 2020 and chairs the Board of Directors
which is composed of representatives of the 14 clubs and one representative of
the Hellenic Football Federation (HFF). In general, there is merit in reviewing
the governance model of the Super League with a view to creating more stability
(for instance by introducing a CEO who manages a proper administration and by
differentiating
between
a General Assembly composed of club delegates and a Board elected by the
General Assembly).
The
competition format of the Super League is divided in two. In the first half of
the season, the 14 clubs play each other in a 26‐game home and away series. The
top 6 clubs then compete in a 10‐game series to determine the champion and the
qualification for UEFA competitions. The bottom 8 clubs play a 14‐game series
at the end of which the bottom one is relegated to the Super League 2 and the
second‐last plays a promotion/relegation playoff match (home and away) against
the runner‐up of the Super League 2. Broadcasting rights are negotiated
individually by each club. Greece is one of the very few European countries where
this is still the case. This practice is a challenge for many clubs given the nature
of the Greek broadcasting market. A centralised approach to the marketing of
broadcasting rights by the Super League should be assessed in view of its
potential of positively impacting revenue distribution and the overall
competitive balance of the league.
The
Super League is a member of the HFF. The 14 clubs have one delegate each at the
HFF Congress. Within the 17‐member HFF Executive Committee, the Super League is
represented with 4 members, i.e. the Super League President (ex officio) and 3
other members who are directly elected by the clubs of the Super League. Furthermore,
the Super League has 5 members (President and 4 additional members) on the HFF
Professional Football Committee. While the Super League is well represented in
the organisational structure of the HFF, the division of responsibilities
between the HFF and the Super League lacks clarity. There is no legal
instrument defining the respective rights and duties of the two entities. This
leads to recurring issues between the Super League and the HFF in relation to
their respective competences. To address this problem a binding contractual
arrangement should be reached between the two entities.
Super
League 2/Football League
The
second (Super League 2) and third highest (Football League) Greek professional
leagues form one legal entity– the Football League is a de facto
semi‐professional league since amateur players can be registered. Both the Super
League 2 and the Football League are presided by Mr Leonidas Leoutsakos. There
is one Board of Directors under his chair, composed of 12 club representatives
of the Super League 2, 3 representatives of the Football League and 1
representative of the HFF.
The
Super League 2 competition was established in 2019 as the second highest league
in the country replacing the Football League which is now the third highest
Greek football league. The Super League 2 consists of 12 clubs whereas the
Football League has 14 clubs. The champion of the Super League 2 is promoted to
the Super League and the bottom two clubs are relegated to the Football League.
The Super League 2 runner‐up plays a play‐off match (home and away) against the
13th ranked Super League 1 club for promotion/relegation. The top two clubs of
the Football League are promoted to the Super League 2. The competition format
of the Super League 2 and the Football League is subject to ongoing debate. A
working group comprising the Super League 2/Football League and the HFF under
the auspices of the Deputy Minister for Sports and Culture has been set up to
discuss the matter. In particular, the current format raises sustainability question
given the large number of participating clubs. As a result of these ongoing
debates, planning and predictability for the competitions is a challenge. The
Super League 2 and Football League is a member of the HFF and is represented by
its President on the HFF Congress, the HFF Executive Committee (ex officio) and
the Professional Football Committee. The restructuring of the Super League 2
and Football League competitions in 2019 should spawn an evaluation of the representation
of the Super League 2/Football League at the HFF Congress. Jointly the two
leagues now comprise 26 clubs, which should be adequately reflected in the
number of delegates at the HFF Congress. The double function of the Super
League 2/Football League President as delegate to the HFF Congress and member
of the
HFF
Executive Committee must be revised to ensure a strict separation of powers
between the executive and legislative bodies of the HFF. Instead, clubs
participating in the Super League 2 and Football League competitions should be
allowed to elect a certain number of representatives to the HFF Congress directly.
Finally, under Greek law the competition format of the professional leagues must
ultimately be approved by the Sports Ministry. This legal requirement is not
compatible with the obligation of member associations and its members to manage
their affairs independently. The format of the football competitions should be
left at the sole discretion of the football stakeholders.
Future
Steps
Implementation
timeline –2021 HFF Congress
The number of delegates allocated to the Super League
2 and Football League should be reviewed to ensure that their representation is
adequate and balanced following the restructuring of the
competitions
introduced in 2019.
The delegates allocated to the Super League 2 and
Football League should be elected/nominated by the clubs competing in the two
competitions.
To ensure a strict separation of powers, the Super
League 2/Football League President should only be represented as member of the
HFF Executive Committee without being a delegate at the HFF Congress.
Implementation
deadline – June/July 2021
The relevant provisions in Greek law should be amended
to ensure that the decision on the
competition
format of the professional leagues is left at the sole discretion of the
football stakeholders.
HFF and the Super League should sign a contractual
arrangement which establishes binding rights and obligations for both entities
vis‐à‐vis each other.
An assessment of the Super League’s governance model
should be carried out with a view to
increasing
its stability (distinction between a General Assembly, a Board and an
administration led by
a
full‐time CEO).
An impact study should be carried out on the possible
centralisation of TV rights by the Super League.
An analysis of Greek professional competitions should
be carried out to establish a clear and
predictable
format for the competitions over the next few years and a transparent and
objective
system
with clear deadlines to introduce changes to it.
10.
INTEGRITY
10.1.
Match‐fixing
In
recent years, football has been confronted with an increasing number of incidents
linked to the manipulation of results which impact negatively on the integrity
of the game and its competitions. These ‘match‐fixing’ incidents have coincided
with a rapid development of the gambling market, particularly in the online environment.
Match‐fixing
is often closely associated with corruption, fraud and money laundering. While
the criminal aspects of such behaviour are a matter for the authorities, UEFA
has enacted a number of measures, including a betting fraud detection system
and an education programme, to combat the risk of match‐fixing. UEFA has also
enacted a legal framework, applicable to all its competitions, to tackle
match‐fixing. Rules relating to match‐fixing have been added to its various
competition regulations. With regard to its competitions, UEFA has adopted a
strict approach in its admission criteria since 2007, based on Article 50.3 of
the UEFA Statutes:
“The
admission to a UEFA competition of a member association or club directly or
indirectly involved in any activity aimed at arranging or influencing the
outcome of a match at national or international level can be refused with
immediate effect, without prejudice to any possible disciplinary measures.”
This
general provision has been introduced within the UEFA Champions League and UEFA
Europa League regulations.
Article
12 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations states that:
“1.
All persons bound by UEFA’s rules and regulations must refrain from any
behaviour that damages or could
damage
the integrity of matches and competitions and must cooperate fully with UEFA at
all times in its efforts to combat such behaviour.
2. The
integrity of matches and competitions is violated, for example, by anyone:
a. who
acts in a manner that is likely to exert an unlawful or undue influence on the
course and/or result of a match or competition with a view to gaining an
advantage for himself or a third party;
b. who
participates directly or indirectly in betting or similar activities relating
to competition
matches
or who has a direct or indirect financial interest in such activities;
c. who
uses or provides others with information, which is not publicly available,
which is obtained through
his
position in football, and damages or could damage the integrity of a match or
competition;
d. who
does not immediately and voluntarily inform UEFA if approached in connection
with
activities
aimed at influencing in an unlawful or undue manner the course and/or result of
a
match
or competition;
e. who
does not immediately and voluntarily report to UEFA any behaviour he is aware
of that may fall within the scope of this article.”
To
ensure UEFA’s match‐fixing regulations are fully understood, it is vital that
all participants, including players, officials and referees, are made fully
aware of the anti‐fraud rules, including their duty to report improper approaches.
UEFA conducts on‐site and e‐learning education programmes for players, referees
and match officials to inform, educate and provide all those involved with
general advice on the issues surrounding sports betting. Briefing sessions and
workshops are organised all year round alongside UEFA tournaments. UEFA also
works very closely alongside Europol and, since 2014, both UEFA and Europol
have been operating under a joint Memorandum of Understanding to combat match‐fixing
at European level. Europol is the European Union’s law enforcement agency whose
main goal is to help achieve a safer Europe for the benefit of all EU citizens.
The scope of the memorandum includes the mutual provision of expertise and constant
consultation in the areas of match‐fixing in football and related organised
crime, as well as the exchange of information and know‐how related to those
areas. Europol and UEFA pledge to cooperate in joint activities and in
implementing relevant projects, and to exchange information on suspected
match‐fixing cases and the methods used by individuals or criminal
organisations tomanipulate matches. Europol provides expert assistance and
advice to UEFA and its 55 member associations on key aspects of contemporary
criminal organisation in the area of match‐fixing. Europol also assists EU law
enforcement authorities in analysing data from sports corruption
investigations. UEFA follows a strict zero‐tolerance policy and serious
sanctions (including lifetime bans from football) have been imposed in cases
where players, officials or referees were found guilty of breaching these
provisions. Close cooperation involving the exchange of information between
public authorities and sports bodies is essential. Indeed, it is vital that
criminal investigations can benefit from a good insight into the unique
features of the sports sector and sports betting markets. At the same time,
disciplinary measures taken by sports authorities (often using information made
available as a result of a state criminal investigation) can serve as an
effective deterrent for those in the sports community. The effective
application of sporting sanctions will generally depend on the existence of a
close working relationship between sports bodies and state authorities, so that
intelligence obtained in the context of criminal investigations is readily imparted
to sports bodies for the purposes of their own disciplinary procedures.
Greece
The situation
regarding match‐fixing in Greece is at a critical stage. The record of incidents
over the past ten years is one of the worst in Europe. The current situation,
reflecting data since 2010, can be summarised as follows:
According to the information at UEFA’s disposal,
Greece is one of the UEFA member associations most affected by match‐fixing
incidents, with around 200 matches reported as suspicious since 2010.
According to UEFA’s calculations, since the 2016/17
season, Greece has had by far the highest number of alleged match‐fixing
incidents among European national associations, with 122 reported incidents. The
next closest associations had around 90 incidents eac
Over this period, five clubs have been involved in 57
of the 122 suspicious matches, accounting for
approximately
47% of all such matches since the 2016/17 season.
During the 2019/20 season, there were 12 suspicious
matches in Super League 2 and the Greek Cup
before
matches were suspended due to COVID‐19, placing Greece among the national
associations most affected by match‐fixing in the 2019/20 season.
According to Transparency International, corruption
levels, while improving in recent years, are still
evident
in wider Greek society, and this is among the reported causes of widespread
match‐fixing. Other factors include the reported regular delays in payment of
player salaries in the 2nd division
– the former Football League now so‐called Super League 2; and
Given the high level of international betting on
matches in all tiers of the Greek football pyramid, the current football
environment is deemed conducive to pervasive match‐fixing.
Best
practices to combat match‐fixing
Across
the integrity spectrum, a series of best practice guidelines includes
recommendations for action at national and international level in areas such as
education and prevention, a national legal framework, national integrity
structures such as the national platform , sports betting monitoring, risk
assessment and management, intelligence and investigations, prosecutions and
sanctioning, financial transparency, and international engagement. Such
reference documents, outlined in Annex 3, include the following:
European Commission: Expert Group on Match Fixing –
State of Play on the fight against match fixing
UEFA
Resolution: European Football United for the Integrity of the Game;
Effectiveness
of European Countries’ Laws and Regulations Dealing with Match‐Fixing, UEFA
Research
Grant
Programme, Comenius University Bratislava, supported by the Slovak FA;
European Commission: Preventing criminal risks linked
to the sports betting market. Pilot project: New integrated mechanisms for
cooperation between public and private actors to identify sports betting risks;
FIFA Specific Recommendations to Combat Match
Manipulation: Guidelines for FIFA member
associations;
FIFA Integrity’s Practical Handbook for FIFA Member
Associations;
UK Sports Betting Integrity Forum (SBIF): Integrity
Considerations for Sports Governing Bodies.
Proposals
to combat the threat of match‐fixing in Greek professional
football
In
the context of the above best practices, the following proposals are designed
to suppress match‐fixing activity in Greece more effectively, build the
capacity of those empowered to tackle it, and foster collaboration with stakeholders
who can help develop sustainable solutions. With this in mind, these proposals,
which are set out in greater detail in Annex XXXX, would be tailor‐made to Greece’s
situation and based on national or international best practices.
Centralised
national integrity structure(s)
A new
governmental structure should be established in Greece to oversee the
implementation of integrity provisions, host the main national platform and
coordinate all integrity and anti‐match‐fixing activities. This would help to
reinforce an ethically sustainable sports culture in cooperation with other
parties such as the FINCIS (Finnish Centre for Integrity in Sports) in Finland,
which is responsible for implementing international treaties on anti‐doping
activities, combating the manipulation of sports competitions and safeguarding
spectator comfort and safety. The national gambling regulator (Hellenic gaming
commission) should be empowered to monitor online sports betting in a
centralised manner, as in England and France, and act as a contact point for
betting operators to report suspicious matches to the national regulator. The
involvement of the relevant authorities, including the Hellenic national police
force, is key. We recommend the establishment of a focal point of contact that
holds responsibility for and centralises all criminal investigations related to
betting fraud, integrity crimes such as match‐fixing and all sports‐related
misconduct. These reforms would put the Greek authorities in a better position
to respond to the emerging links between football corruption and organised
crime as outlined in a 2019 European Commission report to the European Parliament
on supranational risk areas for money‐laundering and financial terrorism.
Additionally, the government and the ministry responsible should adopt an intra‐governmental
approach and work closely with the betting industry and the relevant sports
governing bodies (SGBs) to mitigate threats and protect the integrity of sport
and betting in Greece. In the United Kingdom, for example, the Gambling Commission
(the national regulator) has established the Sports Betting Integrity Unit
(SBIU), which deals with reports of betting‐related corruption. A
non‐governmental organisation (NGO) should be established to protect integrity
in sport by coordinating measures to tackle match‐fixing and betting fraud in
Greece, including education, prevention, awareness‐raising and an ombudsman’s
office to receive reports of match‐fixing in Greek football.
National
platform and dedicated integrity structures
Article
13 of the Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions (the Macolin
Convention) establishes the framework of a national platform. Key priorities
for the development of a national platform for the Hellenic Republic include
the facility to host coordination meetings at a dedicated location, the
platform’s mandate and key competencies, financing of the platform and
operation of the platform. Suggested platform members include representatives
of:
Ministry of Sport focal point (e.g. Integrity
Advisor/Expert; other SPOC)
Dedicated Integrity Officers of all relevant national
sports organisations
Dedicated Ministry of Justice – National Police; focal
point/expert from law enforcement
Dedicated Ministry of Justice – Prosecutor; focal
point from national prosecutors’ office
Dedicated Ministry of Finance – Anti‐Money
Laundering/Fraud focal point/expert
Dedicated Ministry of Interior (if applicable)
Dedicated Betting Regulatory Authority – Hellenic
Gaming Commission
Dedicated representation from state lottery, OPAP; and
betting operators, e.g. Stoiximan
In
this regard, close collaboration between all stakeholders at national level is
key, and internal processes and mechanisms for the exchange of information
between members of the national platform are extremely important.
Steering
group for implementation
A
dedicated steering group should be established to ensure a comprehensive
approach to the fight against match‐fixing in Greek football. The steering
group should include an implementation adviser/expert in each field, e.g. a
UEFA‐appointed special integrity adviser (SIA) for Greece with expertise in
high‐level policy, programme implementation and operations including
investigations and intelligence, dedicated to match‐fixing. It should also
include high‐level representatives of UEFA (MD and integrity officer), the HFF
(integrity officer, ethics committee chairman, dedicated investigator and
others), the ministry of sport, other government departments, the police, the
public prosecution service, betting regulators and other key stakeholders. The
steering group should be monitored by an independent expert (e.g. a special
integrity adviser) mandated to work in close cooperation with all professional
football stakeholders. The steering group (or task force) should submit KPIs
and necessary proposals to the Greek government, outlining additional concrete
measures to be taken to prevent match‐fixing in Greek football.
National
sports law
A
criminal justice response to match‐fixing would demonstrate that manipulation of
sport is not a simple breach of sporting rules, but also an offence against the
public in a broader sense. Legislation to establish match‐fixing as a criminal
offence is needed to complement independent sporting sanctions such as bans,
relegation and other penalties. The current lack of uniformity in
criminalisation measures and legislative approaches calls for more streamlined
action to develop standard‐setting instruments and facilitate convergence in
criminal justice responses.
Recommendations
to amend Greek national sports law should include the criminalisation of
specific match‐fixing offences and the amendment of very light sentences (e.g.
in Greece, the maximum penalty is six months’ imprisonment). The amendment of
Greek national sports law should include provisions for financial right to
return from the socalled betting “integrity fee” and specific criminalisation
of non‐betting‐related match‐fixing. The offences of ‘sports betting fraud’ and
‘manipulation of professional sports competitions’ should be added to national
legislation and should carry heavy penalties. National sports law should also
allow sports governing bodies to share information under applicable data
sharing agreements.
Special
sports prosecution service
A
Cooperation model should be established between public prosecution services and
a special sport justice prosecutor assigned to the HFF and/or to sport in
general, as has been successfully trialled in Italy.
International
engagement
This
comprehensive proposal requires oversight, accountability and a robust
implementation plan based on milestones and key performance indicators (KPIs).
The implementation plan should set out short‐, medium‐ and long‐term solutions,
with a significant focus on international engagement and implementation. Greece
recently ratified the Macolin Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions.
Following this important step, comprehensive implementation is required at
various levels. An implementation plan should therefore be established in
coordination with all relevant national stakeholders. In addition, the national
platform should participate in transnational cooperation and exchange of information
with the Council of Europe’s Network of National Platforms (known as the Group
of Copenhagen). United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC): Greece is
also a state party to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).
At the 8th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations
on the Convention against Corruption, resolution 8/4 on safeguarding sport from
corruption was adopted. Greece, among other signatories, ratified this
resolution and must therefore endeavour to implement it fully. An
implementation plan should be established in coordination with the relevant
national stakeholders and UNODC. EUROPOL Analysis Project Sports Corruption: A
dedicated representative of the Hellenic ministry of justice should be assigned
to Europol as focal point to the Analysis Project (AP) on Sports Corruption – a
EUROPOL mission area focused on certain types of crime and supports current
investigations into sports corruption, including fraud, and associated criminal
activities. A high‐level coordination meeting should also be convened at
Europol or UEFA headquarters with representatives of Europol (deputy or
assistant director and member of the Analysis Project Sports Corruption unit),
UEFA, the Hellenic ministries of justice, sport and the interior, and the HFF,
for an allhands “state of play” meeting to establish a plan of action. INTERPOL
Match‐Fixing Task Force: A dedicated point of contact at the Hellenic ministry
of justice or national police force should be named to INTERPOL as a specific
point of contact (SPOC) for the Interpol Match‐Fixing Task Force. The capacity
of the SPOC and the dedicated Hellenic national police force should be enhanced
through Interpol capacity‐building and training programmes.
Prevention
The
UK Sports Betting Group Code of Practice recommends that “participants are
fully aware of the relevant rules, regulations and sanctions in their sport in
relation to betting. As a minimum, it is recommended that any standard training
programmes for participants include a section on betting integrity. Where a
sport is considered at significant risk, it is recommended a dedicated betting
integrity education programme is introduced.”
According
to information documented by UEFA, the HFF ran comprehensive education and
prevention workshops for all 36 Greek first‐
and second‐division clubs between 2015 and 2018. Analysis shows that 41% of the
clubs that had received standard prevention training continued to be involved
in suspicious matches. More specifically,
15 of the 36 clubs that received match‐fixing prevention training appear to
have continued to manipulate matches after receiving
integrity training. In conclusion, the training, education and prevention programme
in Greek football needs to be comprehensively reviewed in order to improve its
efficiency.
Special
whistleblower provisions
Under
a previous recommendation, an independent ombudsman was established to review
and coordinate and a review of whistleblower mechanisms at all levels of Greek
professional football.
It is
recommended that these mechanisms should be fully implemented in line with the
EU Directive on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law
(Whistleblower Protection Directive).
To
this end, a comprehensive and confidential reporting mechanism, in Greek and
English, should be established throughout Greece for all stakeholders (e.g.
players, referees, officials) to report corruption and match‐fixing. We
recommend engaging FIFPro Europe and the Football Players Union Greece should
be involved as potential stakeholders in order to secure political buy‐in when
developing local whistleblower mechanisms and protection.
HFF
changes to competition structures, disciplinary provisions and expert sporting
panel
The
recent changes to the format of Super League 2 should be upheld and an
assessment of the entire Greek league system (Super League, Super League 2,
Football League and Gamma Ethniki) should be conducted. In this regard,
potential structural amendments should be considered to ensure that sporting
integrity is preserved. Alternative competition structures (like those in
Belgium and Scotland) can reduce incidents of “Il systema” (e.g. in Italy) or
dead‐rubber’ matches that have no effect on a club’s league position. Often
occurring at the end of the season, when points are bought by clubs in need and
sold by clubs with nothing to play for, the competitive nature of these matches
is sometimes undermined. A full review of the HFF disciplinary regulations
should be conducted in order to make sure that the relevant integrity
provisions are established. In this regard, the regulations may be amended to
include adequate minimum sanctions related to any breach of the regulations on betting
and corruption related to match‐fixing, prohibition of betting, sharing of
inside information, etc. Potential sentencing guidelines for appropriately adjudicated
clubs could be based on the following model. For a first violation, the club
responsible will be sanctioned with the deduction of X points and a fine of
€XX,000. For a second violation, the club responsible will be automatically
disqualified from the competition. In addition, all potential income derived from
the club’s participation in the competition will be withdrawn. For a third violation,
the club will be excluded from HFF competitions for a minimum period of X
years. In addition, a fine of €XXX,000 will be imposed. Establishment of an
expert panel for sporting performance review: The Experts Group for sportive
performance evaluation is an independent group of experts qualified to analyse
players’ actions on the pitch or, when applicable, refereeing decisions in
matches or incidents of alleged match‐fixing. The panel could be composed of expert
coaches, former players, sports analysts or other experienced professionals
with knowledge of how matches are fixed through deliberate underperformance.
The panel could be appointed by the HFF or another body, with organisational
matters managed by an independent match‐fixing committee. Such a panel has been
established
by the Ukrainian Association of Football.
National
integrity officer and network of regional/organisation integrity officers
A
full‐time, dedicated integrity officer should be employed either by the HFF or independently
at ministry level to lead and maintain the HFF’s integrity initiatives and
action plan. He or she should also be part of a unit with dedicated staff
including, at the very least, a dedicated investigator and an information/intelligence
coordinator or analyst. A network of local, regional and national integrity
officers should be established throughout the Greek football pyramid, from the
HFF to the 53 regional football associations and the Greek league system (Super
League, Super League 2, Football League and Gamma Ethniki) in accordance with a
betting risk assessment. An independent ombudsman’s office should be
established to review and coordinate whistleblower mechanisms at all levels of
Greek football. In summary, confidence in Greek football is being eroded as a
result of serious integrity issues. The perception of football among ordinary
Greek citizens is being adversely affected. There is a need to address this
issue and start to repair the damage done over recent years. The game’s
reputation has a major impact on the level of interest in football and the
future development of the game.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – March 2021
Establish a national integrity platform and structures
as outlined above
Create a special sports prosecution service and
whistleblower provisions, and amend
national
sports law
Adoption of a Special Sports Prosecutorial Service
Implement international engagement and prevention
programmes
Amend HFF integrity structures
Establish a network of national and regional integrity
officers
10.2.
Anti‐doping
The
World Anti‐Doping Agency (WADA) is the international agency charged with
coordinating and promoting the fight against doping in sport. Its key
activities include education, the development of anti‐doping capacities and ownership
of the World Anti‐Doping Code, which contains anti‐doping rules for all sports
organisations and public authorities around the world. UEFA is one of more than
660 sports organisations to have accepted and comply with the World Anti‐Doping
Code. UEFA has signed cooperation agreements with almost 30 European national
anti‐doping organisations (NADOs).
Under
these agreements, UEFA and the NADOs coordinate their anti‐doping programmes
and testing activities, exchanging information and intelligence. The code
clearly defines the role, responsibilities and jurisdiction of each anti‐doping
organisation and states that all must act in a spirit of partnership and
collaboration in order to ensure the success of the fight against doping in
sport and the promotion of clean sport. The agreements also ensure that UEFA
has a full picture of the doping tests conducted on players across Europe at
national level. In order to promote an anti‐doping environment, UEFA strives to
ensure that its education and testing programmes remain at the cutting edge of
science and recognised good practice in all areas of prevention and detection.
Its ambition is to maintain, to the greatest degree possible, the integrity of
the sport and to protect the health of all athletes in the game. Any player
participating in a UEFA competition may be required to undergo a doping control
at any time. Doping controls may include samples of blood and urine, as well as
screening for substances such as EPO and human growth hormone. No advance
information is given as to when controls will take place – they can either be
incompetition (after a match) or out‐of‐competition (at a team training session,
or even at players’ homes). A key part of UEFA’s testing strategy is the
athlete biological passport. UEFA runs both blood and steroidal passport
programmes, which monitor players’ biomarkers, in blood and urine, over time;
variations in either the blood or steroid profile may be indications of doping,
as well as providing intelligence for target testing.
In
addition, UEFA stores all samples collected in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA
Europa League, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA European Championship for up to ten
years in order to allow re‐analysis at any time, in particular when required
due to specific intelligence, or when new analytical techniques become
available. This long‐term sample storage allows anti‐doping rule violations to
be prosecuted up to ten years after they have been committed, and as such,
provides a significant deterrent effect.
UEFA’s
doping controls are all conducted by UEFA’s own doping control officers (DCOs),
a group of 55 medicaldoctors from 27 different countries. New DCOs follow
UEFA’s in‐depth training programme, while all DCOs undergo regular auditing to
ensure improvements where necessary in the quality of doping controls, and a uniformly
high standard of procedure.
Regulations
All
national associations must establish rules requiring all players preparing for
or participating in a competition or activity authorised or organised by the
national association, and all player support personnel associated with these
players, to agree to be bound by anti‐doping rules in conformity with the Code
as a condition of their participation.
Testing
National
associations are not signatories to the WADA Code and, therefore, must not
conduct testing on their own. They must coordinate testing with their NADO
and/or international federation (IF) and ensure that the NADO or IF is the
testing authority. Any testing that is conducted under the documented authority
of the IF/NADO must be analysed at a WADAaccredited or WADA‐approved
laboratory. National associations must recognise the authority of the NADO in
their country and assist as appropriate with the NADO’s implementation of the
national testing programme for their sport. This includes assisting the NADO in
establishing their testing pool of national representative teams and/or players
and, if requested, obtaining whereabouts information concerning these teams and/or
players.
Result
management
All
national associations must report any information suggesting or relating to an anti‐doping
rule violation to UEFA and to their NADO and cooperate with investigations
conducted by any anti‐doping organisation (ADO) with the relevant authority. Any
national level anti‐doping rule violation case discovered by the national
association must be adjudicated by an operationally independent hearing panel
in accordance with the WADA International Standard for Results Management. A decision
of an anti‐doping rule violation made by an ADO, an appellate body or the Court
of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is automatically binding upon all UEFA’s member
associations. Any consequence or sanction imposed on players, teams or other
persons must be enforced by the national associations.
All
national associations must have disciplinary rules in place to prevent player support
personnel who are using prohibited substances or prohibited methods without
valid justification from providing support to any player under the authority of
the national association.
Education
All
national associations must conduct anti‐doping education in coordination with
their NADO. Financial support is provided for this through UEFA’s HatTrick
funding. The national association should recognise their NADO as
the
authority on anti‐doping education within their respective country.
Enforcement
If
UEFA becomes aware that a national association has failed to comply with, implement,
uphold and enforce the UEFA Anti‐Doping Regulations within its area of
competence, it has the authority to take disciplinary action including, but not
limited to:
exclusion of all, or some, members of the organisation
concerned from specified future events or all events conducted within a
specified period of time;
withdrawal of recognition of the organisation
concerned and of its members’ eligibility to participate in UEFA activities,
and/or a fine;
withholding of some or all funding or other financial
or non‐financial support from the organisation
concerned.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – March 2021
Draft a national strategy in consultation with the
governmental authorities in accordance
with
WADA, FIFA and UEFA regulations.
11.
SAFETY AND SECURITY
UEFA’s
goal is to ensure that football matches are played in a safe, secure and
welcoming environment. Safety and security are key priorities for UEFA as it
works with all its partners to ensure a strong focus on providing a suitable
environment for players, officials, media and fans at all matches. Societal
conflicts across the world can often find a home in football, increasing the
challenge for the national associations, leagues and relevant authorities.
UEFA’s Stadium and Security Strategy Programme 2017–21, comprising seven key
elements, drives UEFA’s efforts to keep ahead of the risks and incidents.
Through this programme, UEFA works closely with national associations which are
experiencing the greatest problems. Policy reviews form an integral part of
this work, the outcome of which is an action plan for a country to take
forward. While risks and incidents in European football are an ongoing issue
and a cause for concern, the situation in Greece is particularly serious.
In
addition to the range of regular support, seminars and services that it
provides to assist all national
associations,
UEFA, in conjunction with the Council of Europe Standing Committee, carried out
a joint
consultative
visit to Greece in 2017 to focus on the issues and progress all stakeholders’
involvement in identifying solutions and instigating a path forward to address
the core problems. As a follow‐up to this important visit, UEFA met with
members of the Greek government in July 2018 to seek to accelerate an action
plan for Greece. In January 2019, UEFA hosted the Football Violence and
Disorder Expert Seminar. At the seminar, which was attended by over 200
representatives of national associations and public authorities, four themes of
current concern were identified by participants: intimidation of officials,
uncontrolled areas in stadiums, organised fights away from stadiums and the
dangers of pyrotechnics. The participants discussed and evaluated 26 strategies
and relevant measures taken across the 55 national associations. They also identified
the current obstacles to progress in their own countries and discussed 12
proposals designed to help shape the way forward.
The
two main conclusions of the seminar were that there was an urgent need for
countries:
to implement effective government‐led exclusion
strategies, i.e. effectively keeping troublemakers
away
from football matches; and
to introduce an independent national system of
government‐led stadium safety certification/licensing and inspection, i.e.
clubs, stadium owners and public authorities should have full control of all areas
of the stadium.
During
the 2018/19 season, UEFA incidents monitoring showed that incidents were
reported, either inside or outside the stadium, at 58% of UEFA Champions League
and UEFA Europa League matches. Some 14% of matches had incidents that were
serious or worse. Sadly, statistics suggest that the situation in Greece is
among the very worst in Europe. In September 2019, more than 360 participants
from national associations, clubs, police and public authorities attended the
annual UEFA Stadium and Security Conference in Athens. UEFA was pleased that,
during this conference, the Greek government agreed to set up a task force to
address safety and security issues in Greek football.
UEFA
incidents analysis shows that, over the three seasons from 2016 to 2019, Greece
had the second worst home record of all 55 national associations in UEFA
Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches. A copy of the latest and fully
up‐to‐date incidents monitoring report for Greece is attached. This shows how
serious the problem is at UEFA competition matches in Greece as well as
highlighting serious issues at domestic matches.
The
2018 Council of Europe report, among other things, highlighted the need for:
a government‐led national multi‐agency co‐ordination
group;
a new integrated and comprehensive, multi‐agency
strategy;
a new legislative framework;
improved stadium safety certification and stadium
safety management operating arrangements;
an obligation for all stadiums hosting professional
football matches to have a designated, trained and assessed as competent
stadium safety officer with responsibility for all in‐stadium safety and
security;
more effective arrangements for ensuring that all
stadium safety and security personnel, and supporter liaison officers, are
trained and assessed as competent to undertake their various tasks;
a review of football policing operations to ensure
that strategic and tactical decisions reflect established European good practice;
more
effective inclusion and, importantly, exclusion (banning order) arrangements.
UEFA
provides support wherever possible and its wide‐ranging programme includes the
following services:
National safety and security strategy summit
(completed?);
Joint training for stadium safety/security managers
and police commanders;
Various masterclasses (e.g. pyrotechnics and violence
and disorder);
Stewarding ‘train the trainer’ programme;
Match visits for safety/security assessments.
The
situation is clearly not improving, and it is now more important than ever for
the Greek authorities to make strides in this area.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – March 2021
Ratify the 2016 Council of Europe Convention, signed
on 3 July 2016
Implement the recommendations and action plan of the
2017 Council of Europe report
Work with UEFA and its pan‐European partners to implement
the programme drawn up by UEFA in 2018
12.
FINANCIAL OVERVIEW
In
2019, HFF faced a crisis of both insolvency and illiquidity, precipitated by a
weak financial governance framework within the organisation. Due to negative equity,
high levels of debt and month‐on‐month overspend, the Federation could have not
been considered a going concern far into 2020. Immediate restructure and financial
planning were required at that time. In 2020, FIFA therefore decided to provide
HFF with resources to assist them in managing their current financial
governance
situation. To this end, FIFA mandated PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), an
international audit and advisory company, with the overall project to assess
the financial situation of the HFF and to come up with specific
recommendations. The project objective was to analyse the current state of
HFF’s Finance Division, identifying business needs and technological
requirements. In addition, PWC was asked to highlight areas for improvement to
establish the “Target Operating Model”
based on key business processes. The project included three different phases:
1)
Review of current state;
2)
Benchmarking evaluation;
3)
Recommendation and roadmap.
Review
of current state and benchmarking evaluation
The
analysis revealed a lack of organisational structure and clear allocation of tasks
within the Finance Division of HFF, resulting in very high operational costs. The
majority of decision‐making processes within the Finance Division are informal,
without underlying policies. This applies to the budgeting process, as well as
payment approvals, reporting, etc. Moreover, the analysis showed that certain
employees within the Finance Division perform task related to other functional
areas such as procurement, administrative operations, etc. The review by PwC
further disclosed that the management of HFF lacks the necessary
decision‐making support from its Finance Division. While the reporting
mechanism is clearly established, there is no regular reporting and vital items
of concern such as discussions over credit, liquidity issues, etc. The Finance
Director and Chief Accountant are heavily involved in day‐to‐day general
accounting and tax compliance tasks, without capacity to be a finance business‐partner
for the management
Recommendation
and Roadmap
As an
overall objective, the finance division of the HFF should focus on strategic
planning and monitoring the targets set by the HFF management. To this end, the
following steps shall be taken:
a.
Processes: Setting up standardised, simplified and documented
end‐to‐end finance procedures with efficient control points and real time
financial reporting.
b.
Organisational structure: Defining roles and
responsibilities and establishing ownership and
accountability
of the tasks performed within the finance division.
c.
Systems: Abolishing manual execution of tasks, paper‐based
transactions and heavy dependence on Excel, and instead utilising existing
hardware with updated systems. PwC highlighted the following prerequisites for
increased efficiency:
Cultural change;
Employees skills;
Harmonisation of processes with enhancement of systems
utilisation;
Appropriate technological infrastructure;
Management support and change dynamic.
These
prerequisites shall be combined with concrete actions, such as:
Timely month end closing;
Monitoring of budget Implementation and variances
(budget vs actual) on a monthly basis;
Strategic and business planning preparation;
Frequent preparation of financial reports and
statements;
New formalised policy for how payments are created,
approved and paid, transferring this responsibility fully to the administration
and obliging regular reporting by the administration to the executive committee
on all financial matters. In order to move forward with the implementation of
the above key points, FIFA and UEFA had jointly appointed a consultant to
remain on‐site at the HFF, with a broad mandate to oversee the reform process,
including the improvement of the HFF’s financial governance framework. It is
concluded that some of the required improvements have already been executed in
close collaboration with FIFA, UEFA and their consultant. However, further
action will need to be taken, in particular related to the reorganisation of
the finance division of the HFF, the upskilling of its employees and the
documentation of finance processes, as well as their optimisation.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline – March 2021
All the suggestions and recommendations included above
and as per the PWC report
provided
to HFF to be followed
13.
FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE OF FOOTBALL IN GREECE
Football
throughout the world is changing, and UEFA and its 55 member associations are
adapting to this dynamic environment. The future health of the sport in each
country is dependent on the ability of the national governing body to position
itself for the future in its country and globally.
UEFA’s
member associations are being encouraged to adapt to these changes in order to
survive, succeed and flourish for the benefit of football and all its
stakeholders. To achieve this, UEFA has developed Football Federations of the
Future (FFF). The purpose of FFF is to provide all national associations with a
framework through which they can determine and define their own vision for the
future
of football in their country, based on its unique circumstances and strategic
priorities. UEFA hopes that FFF will enable it to bring about a clarity of
purpose and help establish a vision that defines and articulates its ambition
for the future of football across Europe. From the national associations’ perspective,
FFF is a blueprint that enables governing bodies such as the HFF to establish a
clear vision and strategic direction for the future of football in their own
country.
Stakeholders
within football
In
order to safeguard the success and sustainability of football in each country,
the national associations must understand that the game needs many different
stakeholders to play their part. Clubs, regional associations, local and
national governments along with fans, media and the general public all have an
influence over how the game is developed. The FFF model for national
associations is based on the fact that football’s stakeholders are themselves
changing. In this fluid environment, for football to continue to grow across Europe,
it is essential that national associations understand how they must adapt in
order to overcome challenges which arise and take advantage of the
opportunities in this ever‐evolving and increasingly competitive environment. Football
Federations of the Future provides them with a framework to achieve this. The FFF model enables each national
association to understand how it must develop across 14 core business development
pillars, to ensure it has the necessary knowledge, expertise and skills to be
able to continue to grow and develop football over the coming five‐year period.
The model is built around the basic principle that each national association is
unique. While many of the issues affecting the HFF are also faced by other
national associations, its specific challenges are unique to Greece. The model,
which has been developed by UEFA in collaboration with all its members, is
designed to be equally applicable and beneficial to every member association,
irrespective of its size, level of resources, individual strategic priorities
and wider socio‐economic and cultural environment. UEFA has been providing
substantial support to the HFF under the umbrella of the existing GROW
programme and Football Federations of the Future, in essence, provides a
long‐term, sustainable vision for this programme.
Over
recent years, through UEFA GROW, UEFA has been working with the HFF, offering
tailor‐made consultation services in the areas most relevant to football
organisations. Football Federations of the Future builds on this by creating a
clear, easy‐to‐follow framework for how national associations can best grow
football in their country.
Five
main areas of growth are identified as part of the UEFA GROW programme. The
respective benefits of these are as follows:
Strategic
planning sits at the very heart of UEFA GROW. It helps national
associations to develop a strategic plan for the whole organisation, painting a
clear picture of where the organisation is going and defining clear and strategic
medium‐ to long‐term objectives.
Image: UEFA
gives national associations access to independent research looking into the
current state of football in their respective markets.
This
data covers a number of different topics, including the general popularity of the
sport, the perception of the various national teams, and the image of the
governing body itself. This independent review forms the basis for setting up
an action plan to address the issues identified through research.
Participation:
Following a thorough review of existing data, UEFA
GROW supports the national association in drafting a growth plan for
participation and retention, which includes the definition of clear yearly
targets for different age categories for both men’s and women’s football. The
plan also details the corresponding responsibilities and required programmes
and budgets.
Engagement:
All national associations use digital channels and
social media to communicate with their key audiences. Under the Engagement
pillar, UEFA GROW is helping national associations to develop a universal digital
marketing and FRM (football relationship management) strategy with clearly
defined targets for reach and engagement.
Revenues:
National associations need sufficient funds in order
to invest in football development and thus be able to grow the game. UEFA GROW
supports the associations in setting up a clear commercial strategy and
fiveyear commercial plan with key performance indicators and timings to develop
all areas of the commercial strategy. All of UEFA GROW’s pillars are
intrinsically linked. If an association has a good reputation in its country,
more people are likely to play, attend or watch the sport. This could
ultimately lead to increased revenue possibilities and digital engagement
opportunities. Following discussions with the national associations, it became
clear that UEFA GROW could offer assistance and expertise in other areas of
football development. Therefore, a decision was taken in 2016 to add supporting
pillars in order to address areas such as brand management and engagement with
audiences and stakeholders at all levels.
Additional
pillars offer support across the following domains:
Communications:
This pillar is about helping to create a clear
strategic communications plan that looks to improve the image of the
association and helps it deliver the right messages to the right stakeholders.
Insights:
The field of data and insights is becoming
increasingly relevant for national associations. UEFA GROW provides a number of
different services, including giving access to data, sharing best practices and
providing benchmarking information. The overall objective is to help national
associations become more insight‐ and datadriven organisations.
Brand: A
brand is much more than just a logo and, as such, an increasing number of
national associations are requesting support from UEFA GROW to help them
optimise their potential or to help them with other (re)branding projects.
Creating a clear brand position for each product will increase the value and
revenues that can be derived from the brands.
Public
affairs: This pillar focuses on assisting national associations
in developing clear strategies for how to form partnerships with government and
other public authorities. This is becoming increasingly important as football widens
its societal role and scope.
Education:
An education programme linked to the national
association’s strategy ensures all staff are equipped with the skill sets and
knowledge needed to achieve the organisation’s goals.
IT: It is
important that national associations understand their IT capabilities and
needs, not only so they can put in place the necessary services, systems and
people to function effectively, but also so they are sufficiently aware and
flexible to adapt to future trends.
Media
rights and content: Through a well‐structured media
rights and distribution strategy, national associations are able to achieve the
optimum balance between reaching new and existing audiences and driving revenue
across multiple platforms.
Governance:
Effective governance is a key element in ensuring that
national associations function properly and are transparent in their operations
and accountable for their actions.
Financial
sustainability: By putting in place the necessary regulatory
framework, national associations are able to protect the long‐term viability
and stability of club football for the benefit of future generations.
13.1.
Model for the future of the HFF
The
Football Federations of the Future model has the potential to transform the HFF
and the future development of football in Greece. The evolution of progress
across each of the areas within the model will work to varying timeframes and
the model itself will be different for Greece than for other countries. Ultimately,
Football Federations of the Future is built around the principle of self‐assessment,
with UEFA always willing and available to support the HFF. Each pillar within
the framework is important and the model provides a step‐by‐step guide to
ensure national associations are able to obtain maximum value from each pillar,
with each pillar ideally being considered individually and decisions taken in
isolation from those made across other pillars. FFF is designed to help the HFF
to identify opportunities and understand how far, in broad terms, it should develop
each area of its business operations over the next five years. It is designed
to be flexible and enable the
national
association to plot a future vision that best supports its individual business
objectives.
Ultimately,
the framework outlined can be the tool that enables the HFF, in cooperation
with UEFA and all its stakeholders, to map out a vision and strategy for the
game in Greece that ensures the future success of football at all levels.
Future
steps
Implementation
timeline –March 2021 to September 2022
The HFF should draft its long‐term strategy with the
support of FIFA and UEFA experts as well as local professionals.
The HFF should adopt a long‐term plan in accordance
with the principles of FFF.
14.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Clearly,
Greek football is not in the position which the nation’s passion for and
commitment to the game merits.
At
international level, Greek football has fallen significantly below European
averages across a range of areas and parameters. Its overall situation can best
be summarised as follows:
The importance of Greek football to a range of
stakeholders – fans, clubs, government, media and
the
general public – is clear and remains robust. Public awareness of the sport
remains very high.
The image of football is constantly seen as negative,
which will have a long‐term impact on
participation,
sponsorship, revenue generation and the stability of the game.
There are significant and repeated problems with
safety and security (violence) and integrity
(match‐fixing,
etc.).
The international status of Greek football, as
benchmarked with other nations and UEFA/FIFA,
leaves
room for significant improvement in many different areas.
The challenges are many and the solutions require
solid cooperation between UEFA, FIFA, the HFF
and
the Greek government. There are a number of specific steps and recommendations
that will
contribute
to a better future for Greek football.
Greek football faces significant financial and
commercial challenges. Improving the game’s image
will
be crucial to boost revenue and protect its future sustainability.
The long‐term future of Greek football requires a
stronger focus on core HFF activities, including
football
development planning aimed at safeguarding the game’s future by bringing
through
talented
players into the professional game.
The HFF will benefit from refocussing and
restructuring to ensure it can develop the best possible
roadmap
for football within a dedicated framework that will serve all elements of the
game from
grassroots
to the elite professional level.
A number of very specific governance issues are
affecting the running of Greek football. These need
to be
addressed in order to give the prospect of a future legacy and a better
platform for success.
The Greek government has a key role to play in
supporting football and improving its image.
Through
legislation and structural remedies, it can address important issues of
integrity within the
game
and violence around it, always by respecting the principle of self‐governance
of the Hellenic
Football
Federation
All stakeholders in Greek football have an opportunity
to build better social, community and
educational
experiences for Greek citizens, both male and female.
With little positive legacy to show from the past 20
years, Greek football needs to come up with a
new
vision, develop a new standard for football and create a joint legacy with all
key football
stakeholde
15. THE
WAY FORWARD
The
issues highlighted in this report and summarised above demonstrate the need for
all key stakeholders, including the HFF, FIFA, UEFA and the Greek government,
to play their part in solving a variety of problems within their respective
remits. It is clear that the HFF must take the lead role as the governing body
of football in Greece and implement the numerous reforms and development plans
outlined in this report in order to improve football in Greece. In addition,
specific proposals emanating from the study include the following.
All
stakeholders must act on the recommendations and proposals outlined in this
report.
Each
section of this report contains recommendations for the improvement of individual
aspects of football in Greece. The main actions required are summarised within
each section with a proposed timeframe for implementation under the ‘Future
steps’ heading. Each section also contains further suggestions and recommendations
that also need to be considered and implemented. Together, the fulfilment of
these measures will significantly improve Greek football. It is hoped that the implementation
of these actions and recommendations will enable all key football stakeholders
to set out and agree a clear path to a brighter future for Greek football.
Greek
football strategy
The
creation of a long‐term strategy that will guide the HFF and Greek football as
a whole for many years to come is absolutely crucial. This strategy should be
drafted in consultation with all major football stakeholders, such as the
regional associations, players, clubs and referees. It should ensure that the
HFF remains true to its values as the governing body of Greek football and
showcase its determination to launch progressive initiatives and programmes
over the coming years. The strategy should focus, among other things, on
improving football’s image, increasing participation, improving good governance
at all levels, and providing more and equal opportunities in football.
The
strategy should urge all football stakeholders to work together in a spirit of
cooperation and togetherness, with the overall well‐being of Greek football
always at the forefront.
FIFA and
UEFA will help the HFF set a framework for the reforms.
FIFA
and UEFA will assist the HFF with its implementation of the Football
Federations of the Future (FFF) programme. Part of UEFA’s GROW initiative, FFF
covers all aspects required to produce a framework for the development of the
game and the HFF as football’s national governing body in Greece. FFF will
provide the HFF with a blueprint to develop a clear vision and strategy for
football in Greece and a pathway to overcome challenges and take advantage of
opportunities in the period to 2025. In the HFF’s case, Football Federations of
the Future is built around the basic principle that the situation in Greece is
unique.
The
HFF reforms will help the association to build better structures for the future
development of the game. They will also enable it to enhance the image of
football, increase revenue opportunities and, ultimately, grow participation,
raise coaching and development standards, and produce more and better players
at all levels of the game.
HFF
should invest every possible effort to revise its organisational structures
The
renewed focus stemming from Football Federations of the Future will enable the
HFF and other key stakeholders to understand how the national association needs
to develop across its essential core business development pillars, to ensure it
has the necessary knowledge, expertise and skills to be able to continue to
grow and develop football over the coming period. Resources will be required to
work through the different elements of the Football Federations of the Future programme.
Specifically, the HFF will be required to implement best practice governance
and administrative structures in line with European standards in the following
areas:
Congress and committee structures;
All major football stakeholders to be represented
adequately in the main football decision‐making
bodies;
Administration management and staff;
National football development plan;
Refereeing;
Disciplinary matters;
Grassroots development;
Elite football;
Finance and governance.
Moreover,
the inclusion of the key stakeholders will consequently result in a more
representative and enlarged HFF supreme controlling organ.
The
Greek government must address the issues around the integrity of the game in
order to urgently combat the threat of match‐fixing,
corruption and violence in Greek professional football
The
government must address the match‐fixing issues raised in the integrity section
of this report in the following
areas:
Centralised national integrity structures;
National platform and dedicated integrity structures;
National steering group and international engagement;
Steering group for implementation;
Special sports prosecution service;
Prevention mechanisms;
Special whistleblower provisions;
Ratify the Council of Europe Convention on the
Manipulation of Sports Competitions, which was signed on 3 July 2016, implement
the recommendations and action plan contained in the 2017 Council of Europe
report and work with UEFA and its pan‐European partners to implement the
programme proposed by UEFA in 2018;
Amend the relevant law to ensure the protection of
match officials from being subject to lawsuits
regarding
sporting errors.
The
Greek government must support football development programmes
The
Greek government should offer support similar to that provided in other
comparable European countries, whose governments support grassroots programmes
run by the national association to raise the standard of future elite players.
In turn, the government can use these activities to fulfil its UN sustainable
development goal targets by supporting community and social initiatives.
Government
support could involve:
investing in national sports infrastructure projects.
It is that will be given a National football training
center
that will accommodate the needs of all National football teams;
supporting the HFF’s efforts to access EU funding for
youth football;
investing government betting revenue in the
development of grassroots football programmes for men and women;
financing the activities and infrastructure of regional
amateur football associations.
FIFA,
UEFA, the HFF and the Greek government must commit to working together for the
benefit of football by applying the recommendations in this report.
Specifically,
they should give careful consideration to all aspects of this report in a
positive, collaborative manner in order to implement its recommendations. They
should agree to meet annually.
16.
ANNEXES
Annex
1 Declaration of intent
Annex
2 Safety and security report
Annex
3 Proposals to combat the match‐fixing in Greek professional football
Annex
4 FIFA & UEFA anti‐doping regulations
Annex
5 Technical director’s handbook (FIFA)
Annex
6 HFF refereeing regulations 2020
Annex
7 UEFA Football Federations of the Future guide
Annex
8 UEFA HR recommendations to the HFF
Annex
9 UEFA Referee Convention 2020
Annex
10 UEFA Coaching Convention 2020
Annex
11 FIFA Statutes 2020
Annex 12 UEFA Statutes 2020