Luis Rubiales opens Grassroots Madrid Conference
UEFA, in collaboration with the RFEF, organizes this event, which brings together in the capital of Spain the entire community of this project, which is based on recreational soccer.
The president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, has inaugurated the 'Grassroots Madrid Conference' organized by UEFA in collaboration with the RFEF. It brings together representatives of the grassroots community of the 55 member federations of UEFA, FIFA, as well as other continental confederations to discuss the 'Grassroots Project' in Madrid, Spain.
One of the main ideas is to continue promoting the participation of children in soccer as a social and recreational game in a sustainable manner. To this end, the group of experts in this UEFA project will present updates and examples of good practices along the week. These practices will be enriched with debates, workshops and presentations. They will focus on two main aspects: the development of Grassroots clubs and how to use flexible formats to create the best playing environment so that everyone is attracted to soccer and wants to play.
Among other aspects, the UEFA Strategic Development Plan, the legacy of the 'Football in Schools' (FIS) program carried out during the 'UEFA Women's EURO 2022', the 'UEFA Playmakers Program', as well as the grassroots development in Football (with people of all ages), Indoor Football and Football for people with functional diversity will also be addressed. All this work is intended to make soccer the most practiced, attractive, responsible and reliable sport in Europe.
The RFEF is aware of the grassroots program and one of the strategic objectives that are part of the Strategic Plan of the RFEF for the period 2020-2024 is to increase participation, a common goal for the Territorial Federations. To this end, programs such as 'We are Schools' (with the UEFA Football in Schools, FIFA Football for Schools and Football + projects) or 'UEFA Playmakers' are being developed, as well as other initiatives, including training coaches for these projects by creating the 'Grassroots Manager Basic Course' license.
The RFEF as host federation
Luis Rubiales thanked UEFA and its president, Aleksander Ceferin, for trusting the Spanish Football Federation to organize this project and host this congress. "Grassroots is very important for the development of soccer and for the grassroots. UEFA's role in promoting these initiatives is also very important and I will always be ready to support initiatives like this", he recalled.
The RFEF president, who is also the president of UEFA's development and technical assistance committee, praised the essence of soccer and the illusion of those children who dream of the ball. "We evoke the soccer that has no rules, the one that accepts everyone being inclusive. Also, the soccer that is played in the street, at any time, in any place, by everyone, and the one that nobody has ever named. Until now. This is Grassroots soccer, the one that is played wherever there is a desire to do so".
In an atmosphere of cordiality and proximity, a video of Aleksander Ceferin was shown in which he highlighted the fundamental role of grassroots. He also thanked the work of the Spanish Football Federation and its president. Per Ravn Omdal, honorary member of UEFA and Grassroots ambassador, expressed himself along the same lines.
Frank Ludolph, UEFA's director of soccer technical development, explained all the details of the project, the guidelines to be followed by the federations for the development of Grassroots in their territories and the new basis for evaluation and financial support.
