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Theodoros Theodoridis, The general secretary of UEFA. Interview
The general secretary of UEFA, speaks exclusively to Manos Staramopoulos about the relations with FIFA, the successful 16th European championship, the institution he wants to create for his father and much more ...
Theodoros Theodoridis is undoubtedly the leading international factor who has presented Greek football since its inception. The son of Savvas and Areti, born on August 1, 1965, has been holding the position of General Secretary of the most powerful (according to many) organization in the field of UEFA football for 5 years now.
A marketing graduate from the University of Philadelphia in the United States, he joined the leadership of the European Confederation in 2008 when it's former president, Michel Platini, won the election. He was initially appointed director of National Federations. A few years later, Platini promoted him to the position of Deputy Secretary General and in March 2016 he was acting as General Secretary. In September of the same year he officially took over this position, which he holds to this day with great success.
A big fan of Don Revi's great Leeds United with Johnny Giles, Peter Lorimer, Eddie Gray, Paul Meadley and all the stars of their generation. And a little fan of Inter. He never misses a match either on TV, or live when he is called on duty… He is the "right hand" of the Slovenian president of UEFA, Alexander Ceferin.
I have known Theodoros Theodoridis for over 25 years. When he was still in charge of the International Relations of Olympiacos. So on my recent trip to Switzerland we met once again and talked about many different interesting topics of international football for Discoveryfootball.
DF:How was the period until the start of the final phase of the 16th European Championship?
R/: "Things were hard for us here at UEFA. The special working group that consisted of around 15-20 people, had been working endless hours. We were practicing on paper for many hours every day, while we were in daily contact with all the federations that would host games. There were nights when we slept in our offices. The whole atmosphere was so intense".
DF: But everything started and ended in the best way…
R/: Indeed. Everything worked maybe even better than we had expected. Not all the people, but many, were able, even with precautions, to go to the stadiums, where they watched great games… Here I must point out that Russia also played an important role, which had given more freedom to the spectators. We saw stadiums with almost full capacity. This was also a significant income for UEFA".
DF: But before we reach the final phase, let's go back in time and see what happened in 2020 and how the decision to postpone was made?
R/: "With about 100 days left, EURO 2020 was firmly on track to start normally in June. Thanks to close co-operation between national federations, local authorities and UEFA, preparations were nearing completion in each of the 12 cities hosting the 60th anniversary edition of the competition.
But the sudden outbreak of the pandemic left the governing body of European football with no choice but to postpone the event for 12 months. Although it was a difficult decision, it was the only way to ensure the safety of all involved, to avoid unnecessary burdens on public services and to give the domestic leagues enough time to complete their seasons.
DF: During this period, what were UEFA's moves?
R/: "Over the last 15 months, the governing body of European football has had to adapt to unprecedented conditions, working closely with hosts, business partners - broadcasters, sponsors and franchisees - as well as key suppliers, such as television production and service providers put everything in place so that the rescheduled tournament could start on June 11 in Rome.
UEFA was able to confirm the presence of fans at EURO 2020 after receiving assurances from 8 of the 12 host cities in early April. Several host countries have taken tournament planning into account in their national recovery strategies".
DF: How did your collaboration with Synlab go?
R/: "Very well. It is a multinational company that had almost branches or cooperated with other medical units throughout Europe. In Greece it was Biomedicine. There was an excellent cooperation in general".
DF: Let's move on to the controversial issue of the European Super League… UEFA has resisted this issue from the beginning and continues…
R/: "Indeed. From the very first day we were against this move and now everyone is with us, except of course the three teams (Real, Barcelona, Juventus). We have shown that there can be no organization outside UEFA and I must admit that Margaritis Schoinas (vice-president of the European Commission ) has helped us and is still helping us, who has been with us since day one… Now we are waiting for the decision in our favor".
DF: Let's change the subject a little. Relations with FIFA remain on a tightrope, why?
"It simply came to our notice then. FIFA's desire to hold a World Cup every two years has created a bad atmosphere. The UEFA president, Mr. Ceferin, from the very first moment he was informed, was against it. And as everyone understands this continues".
- Could there possibly be a solution?
"I think that if the two sides sat at a table for a long time and there was an honest mood, they could have found a solution that would help football go even better."
Theodoros Theodoridis and his brother Dimitris, now that the holidays are coming, will be able to have a closer contact, as they will meet almost every day in Athens. Their goal is to create an Institution in the name of their father, SAVVA, which was loved not only by the people of Olympiakos but by the Greek fans in general, something that was evident at his funeral in the Diocese of Athens, where hundreds of people gave a resounding presence…
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