Rafael Louzán Opens UEFA Annual Security Conference
The RFEF president joined the opening session of the conference in Madrid, which brings together more than 500 participants from clubs, police authorities, all 55 UEFA member associations, security officials and other experts. “Organising a sporting event means ensuring that people can enjoy it with peace of mind and confidence,” Louzán said.
The president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Rafael Louzán, welcomed delegates to Spain at the opening of the UEFA Annual Security Conference, recognising their “dedication, experience and responsibility”.
“Without all of you, the great spectacle that this sport represents would not be possible. Organising a major sporting event means ensuring that thousands of people can enjoy it with peace of mind and confidence. Football brings people, families and friends together around a club or a national team; it is part of people's lives. You make all of this possible through professional, discreet and efficient work,” Louzán said.
Rafael Louzán shared the opening session with UEFA Deputy General Secretary and Director of Football Giorgio Marchetti and Petr Fousek, Chairman of the UEFA Stadium and Security Committee.
Addressing representatives of all 55 UEFA national associations, Louzán highlighted Spain's ability to serve as a global benchmark in football—not only because of its sporting achievements, with the men's teams reigning European and world champions, the women's team reigning world champions and Spain also European champions in futsal, among other honours, but also because of its proven ability to safely host the world's biggest sporting events.
“Spain is not only a great footballing nation; it is also a country that offers the highest guarantees when it comes to hosting major football events. In this safe environment, Spain has hosted a number of UEFA's biggest occasions in recent years, including UEFA Euro 2020, the Europa League finals in Seville in 2023 and Bilbao in 2025, the 2024 UEFA Women's Champions League final in Bilbao, and the 2019 Champions League final at the Metropolitano.
“Madrid will host another Champions League final in 2027, once again at this stadium, giving us another outstanding opportunity to successfully stage one of the most important sporting events in the world. It will be the ninth Champions League final to have been held in Spain, making our country one of the competition's most frequent hosts: six in Madrid—including the 2027 final—two in Barcelona and one in Seville since 1957,” Louzán explained.
In this regard, the RFEF president thanked UEFA for its confidence in Spain and Atlético Madrid, which will host this season's Champions League final.
Looking further ahead, Louzán also emphasised Spain's role in the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which the country will co-host with Portugal and Morocco.
“We want it to be the best World Cup in history. Spain will host the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco. We will rise to the occasion of this historic tournament and deliver a safe and memorable World Cup for the world. We will host the majority of the matches, accounting for 55% of the bid's overall allocation. For that reason, Spain is where the final should be played. We are an absolute guarantee of safety and success when it comes to major football events,” he stated.
The UEFA Annual Security Conference, taking place in Madrid on 1 and 2 September, brings together more than 500 participants from clubs, national associations and the security sector. For the first time, the conference also includes a dedicated session on the UEFA Nations League, further expanding the scope of discussions around safety and security across European football.
