UEFA: "Football is the most popular sport on the planet" (A. Ceferin, Annual Report 2018-19)

"Football is the most popular sport in Europe and on the planet, and we aim to keep it that way. We will put football first and keep football accessible to all. We will build trust and restore faith in football governance. We will ensure that football remains competitive, and we will safeguard competitive integrity and football's sustainability," said Aleksander Ceferin (SVN), president of UEFA, in the foreword of the Annual Report 2018-19 (see PDF and digital versions below) that was approved by the 44^th Ordinary Congress in Amsterdam (Netherlands) on 03/03/2020.

"UEFA, as guardians of the game, must protect it and develop it, and pass it on to our successors in even better shape. The strategy is simply our road map for doing this," said the president of the European body.

"I believe there will be no 'women’s football' in five years' time. It will be just 'football'. The women's game has never been stronger, but we want to further strengthen competitions, heighten professionalism and double the number of players in Europe. We will also change the perception that football is not…