UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin spoke highly of the Euro 2024 in an exclusive interview with Xinhua and expressed the willingness to cooperate with the Chinese side in cultivating future Chinese superstar players.
By sportswriters Xiao Shiyao, Yue Dongxing, Gong Bing and Liu Yang
BERLIN, July 12 (Xinhua) -- With the Spain-England final clash being set to kick off on Sunday, the quadrennial European football gala is drawing to a close.
In an exclusive interview with Xinhua on Tuesday, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin considered Euro 2024 as probably the best ever, noting that the tournament is on course to achieve a global cumulative audience of five billion viewers.
The head of European football governing body said that UEFA was ready to cooperate with the Chinese Football Association (CFA), sharing the aim of cultivating a future Chinese superstar player who could excel in the Champions League.
Ceferin also expressed his confidence for the revamped European club competition format, adding that UEFA will continue to prioritize players' health amidst today's fully-packed match calendar.
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EURO 2024: BEST EVER
"Everything was amazing. In my opinion, it's probably the best Euro ever," Ceferin spoke highly of the ongoing tournament.
"Fans enjoyed it, and we have had no major incidents with them. We've seen fantastic football, with top teams. The only issue was the weather - sometimes it was good, sometimes not so much. But, all in all, it was a great, great tournament."
Using just one word to sum up the tournament is difficult, he said, but he offered, "Football unites people."
Having attended numerous matches in person, the 56-year-old Slovenian noted the narrowing gap between traditional top teams and others.
"From what they showed so far, the Spanish team has been impressive. The others, like France, England, and Germany, did very well. I was impressed by smaller teams like Slovakia, Georgia and, of course, my Slovenia, who made me very proud," he said.
With the global interest in Euro 2024 remains sky-high, Ceferin dismissed the notion that younger generation isn't following football as much.
"The reality is quite different. More and more young people are watching football, and - more importantly - playing football," he said.
"We have data to support this. In my home country of Slovenia, for example, over 70 percent of young, registered athletes play football, and Euro 2024 is on course to achieve a global cumulative audience of 5 billion viewers," he added. "So, I am not worried about the future of football."
Pleased with the successful tournament in Germany, the UEFA president also ruled out the future possibility of repeating the Euro 2020 format, which was being hosted in 11 different countries across the continent.
"Indeed, hosting the EURO across 11 countries was complicated. I don't think such a tournament should be repeated in the future. It's essential for fans to immerse themselves in the host country's culture, getting to know more about its people and traditions. Hosting a tournament in two countries is manageable, but 11 [hosting countries] was exhausting and costly," Ceferin said.
"Looking ahead, the hosts for the next two tournaments are already confirmed: the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland in 2028, and Italy and Turkey in 2032. What happens beyond that is hard to predict, but this tournament in Germany definitely showcases the right approach," he added.
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READY TO COOPERATE WITH CHINA
During the FIFA congress in Bangkok, Thailand this May, Ceferin met newly-elected CFA president Song Kai for the first time.
"We had a very fruitful and nice meeting in Bangkok and discussed possible cooperation. China is a big country with many sports talents and is one of the most successful in the world when it comes to Olympic gold medals. But in football, you are a bit behind. I think we can help a lot. We have the knowledge, and we have a desire to cooperate," Ceferin said.
"Our goal should be to create a Chinese superstar player that will excel in the Champions League. What I see as important, and I spoke about it with President Song Kai, is for China to develop their own football talents. Invest in youth; don't buy old players who can't play in Europe anymore. I think we agreed on that, and we will soon have new meetings," he added.
The Slovenian lawyer, who was elected UEFA president in 2016, attributed the success of European football to its long tradition and financial distribution system.
"Besides the long tradition, football is so strong in Europe because of the financial distribution system. Overall, 97 percent of total revenue gets reinvested back into football. I think we can do good things together with the Chinese FA," he said.
He was also impressed by the football passion from China, noting that an estimated 300 million viewers have watched the tournament in the East Asian country.
"It's quite emotional to hear that 300 million people [in China] are staying awake in the middle of the night to watch the Euro. The Chinese people are the big fans of football, we receive a lot of letters from them, and we know that they are following closely all our competitions, and we are very proud of that," he said.
The UEFA president sent a message to all Euro fans in China: "Thank you! This proves that football knows no boundaries, no nations, no races and no religion. It is our game, for each of us to enjoy and to love."
In 2016, domestic appliance giant Hisense became the first top-tier official partner of Euro based in the Chinese mainland. Eight years later, five out of 13 top-tier official partners of the tournament are Chinese companies: Hisense, Vivo, BYD, Alipay and AliExpress.
According to the statistics, Hisense's overseas revenue has grown from 23.4 billion yuan (about 3.2 billion U.S. dollars) to 85.8 billion yuan, increasing its overall revenue proportion from 23 to 43 percent since 2016.
"Our cooperation with Chinese companies around national team competitions has been remarkable so far due to our shared values, such as sportsmanship, integrity, respect and excellence," Ceferin said, adding that they are always looking for partners who can expand the tournament's international reach.
"Our current partners have established high standards that set a benchmark for other companies to aspire to. We are more than just partners; we are bridge-builders. By connecting diverse business cultures, we foster inclusivity and create an environment where everyone feels welcomed and appreciated," he added.
REVAMPED UEFA CLUB COMPETITION TO SUCCEED
Under Ceferin's leadership, UEFA introduced a third-tier UEFA Conference League in 2021-22 season, behind the second-tier Europa League, and the first-tier Champions League.
"The new format is beautiful, and I'm already sensing a lot of positive reactions within the football community. Traditionally, people in our sport are hesitant about changes, but I believe this revamped European club competition format will succeed on multiple fronts," Ceferin said with confidence.
"There are numerous advantages: the tournaments will be more dynamic and unpredictable, teams will face a diverse range of opponents, and every match will carry significant sporting interest, as each goal could impact qualification or elimination," he explained.
The UEFA president said he was pleased to see that more teams from a broader range of countries will have the opportunity to compete in Europe, with 108 clubs participating in the group stage of European competitions and representing a minimum of 37 countries and regions.
"Furthermore, the new format will generate increased revenue, benefiting the participating clubs and contributing to higher solidarity payments across the continent," he added.
In the upcoming 2024-25 season, a new Champions League format will feature 36 teams playing a total of 189 matches, instead of the previous 32 clubs and 125 matches.
It is the first time since 1992 that Europe's elite competition has seen such a revamp.
Ceferin acknowledged the fully packed match calendar and emphasized UEFA's close collaboration with stakeholders to balance competitive expansion and safeguarding players' well-being.
"We had consulted with clubs, players' unions, and medical experts to gather insights and feedback on managing the increased workload without compromising player health.
"These consultations led to some beneficial changes - for example, we have made the five-substitution rule, initially introduced as a temporary measure during the COVID-19 pandemic, a permanent stay in our competitions. Players' health is paramount, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely," he added. ■