Elections, Euro venue among top items on agenda

Elections, the choice of the hosts for Euro 2012 and continuing dialogue with the European political authorities are high on UEFA's list of priorities for 2007.

The German city of Duesseldorf will be the setting for the 31st Ordinary UEFA Congress on January 25 and 26. Elections will take place for a four-year term as UEFA president.

The two candidates are incumbent Lennart Johansson and former France and Juventus captain Michel Platini.

In addition, 13 football administrators, including Malta FA president Joe Mifsud, have submitted their candidature for election to the UEFA Executive Committee, with six seats, held by those current members whose terms of office are expiring, up for grabs.

The six seats are available for four-year terms for the period 2007-2011.

In April, UEFA is set to make its decision on the hosts for Euro 2012. Three candidates - Croatia/Hungary, Italy and Poland/Ukraine - are in the running to stage European football's blue-riband national-team tournament in more than five years' time.

Meanwhile, preparations will be hotting up for Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland, with UEFA and the two host associations eager to ensure that the momentum achieved so far is maintained.

This year will see further developments in UEFA's relationship with the European Union, following the publishing of last year's Independent European Sport Review, which puts forward a number of recommendations for the well-being of the European game.

The European Commission has now launched a white paper which should ultimately define the European Union's policies and legislation in the field of sport, and UEFA hopes that the findings of the review will be taken into sufficient consideration.

UEFA will likewise await developments in the case involving Belgian club Royale Charleroi SC.

Charleroi are claiming compensation from the world football body FIFA because one of their players returned injured from an international friendly for Morocco last year. The case is currently with the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

A football exhibition next summer, for which the government of the Brussels region has teamed up with UEFA, will highlight Europe and football. Only a Game? will run from May 23 to August 26 in the Parc du Cinquantennaire, Brussels's most prestigious exhibition venue.

Its goal is to show Europe through football. At the heart of the display will be a huge table-football and an interactive sphere.

Visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the history and culture of the game, and will encounter many interactive elements and rare items from prestigious European sports museums. French star Lilian Thuram has agreed to act as patron.

Coupled with the events above are, among other things, UEFA's campaigning against racism in football, its efforts to further improve safety and security in stadiums and promote referee development, activities to help improve the associations' decision-making through its Top Executive Programme, and an increase in anti-doping controls... another hectic UEFA year lies ahead.