UEFA Congress: Joseph Blatter (FIFA) praises the exceptional development of football in Europe

Joseph Blatter, president of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) has praised "the exceptional development of football in Europe and the success of its national teams at FIFA competitions," before the Congress of UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) held in Astana (KAZ) on 27/03/2014.

He stressed the importance of having a global approach to find common solutions to problems facing football and he discussed the role played by FIFA in the development of football across Europe: "125 FIFA Goal (the Goal program allows federations to receive funding to carry out development projects) projects have been carried out in UEFA's member association since 1999." Only two federations out of the 54 do not have Goal project at the moment: Italy and Sweden.

The FIFA president completed a four-day Central Asia trip in Astana, on 03/27/2014, after Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan "where he opened Goal projects and met with sporting and political authorities," said FIFA.

Michel Platini's call to act on third party ownership of players:

• "This is a global problem and the issue…