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Former players' key role in football's development

Writing in the latest edition of UEFA Direct, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin says it is crucial for UEFA to have former players such as Nadine Kessler and Dejan Stanković joining the organisation and getting involved in the decision-making process.

Nadine Kessler and Dejan Stanković will bring crucial experience to UEFA
Nadine Kessler and Dejan Stanković will bring crucial experience to UEFA ©UEFA.com

Few have greater authority to talk about football development than those who have played the game at the highest possible level.

Former professional players have experienced at first hand policies that have influenced their careers and they are therefore in the best position to say what should and should not be done in regard to football development.

This is why I believe that it is crucial for UEFA to have former players involved in the decision-making process and I am delighted that Nadine Kessler and Dejan Stanković have both joined our organisation as football advisors.

Both players reached great heights during their playing careers. Nadine was a three-time UEFA Women’s Champions League winner and was named FIFA Women's World Player of the Year and UEFA Best Women's Player in Europe in 2014. Her main roles will include helping to oversee the development of women’s football and the growth of women’s competitions.

Nadine’s appointment shows UEFA’s commitment to developing the women’s game. This is one of my key objectives as UEFA president and as long as there is room for improvement, we will continue to raise the level and the profile of women’s football.

Dejan, who won a UEFA Champions League title with FC Internazionale Milano and amassed over 100 caps for Serbia, will be responsible for working on dedicated UEFA projects as well as assisting UEFA national associations to develop talented youth players.

These two players have accumulated a colossal amount of knowledge and valuable experience not only in their professional careers, but also when they were learning the game as youngsters. I am pleased that they see it as a natural progression in their careers to join UEFA and to try to pass on their wisdom to future generations.

Investing in the next generation of footballers is an absolute necessity in order to develop players for the future. It is crucial that top-class football education is provided at a very early stage as this will enhance the technical level and abilities of those future professionals.

There is a possibility that in the future, more former players could join UEFA to lend their expertise. Their understanding of football as a whole is crucial for the development of the game across all levels and we look forward to developing a fruitful relationship with them over the coming years.

 

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