The heart of European soccer beats in Thessaloniki today, as the city hosts the UEFA Executive Committee meeting, an honorary choice that coincides with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO).
The meeting is of great importance, as it will determine which cities will host the finals of the 2028 and 2029 European tournaments, while the change to the qualifying format for the Euro and the World Cup in the European zone is also expected to be ratified; this will follow the successful “League Phase” model currently used in the Champions League, Europa, and Conference Leagues, with a unified points system.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The most important items on the agenda:
– 2028 and
2029 UEFA Champions League Finals– 2028 and
2029 UEFA Europa League Finals– 2028 and 2029
UEFA Conference League Finals– 2028 and
2029 UEFA Women’s Champions League Finals– 2027 and
2028 UEFA Super Cup– 2027 UEFA Futsal Champions League Finals UEFA
2027 – Regulations for the UEFA Women’s European Championship, including the UEFA Women’s Nations League and
the UEFA Women’s European Championship Qualifiers (2027–29)
– Regulations for the 2027/28
UEFA Men’s and Women’s Youth Competitions – Amendments to the UEFA Nations League Regulations (2026/27) – New playoff system (to transition to the new format approved in May, with three leagues instead of four).
To mark the 100th anniversary of the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO), a grassroots soccer festival will be held in Aristotelous Square as part of the “UEFA Football in Schools” program. The opening ceremony will be attended by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin and Hellenic Football Federation President Makis Gagatsis.
Sixty boys and girls from schools in Thessaloniki will participate in the event, giving them the opportunity to share the field with prominent figures from Greek and international soccer. Among them are Oliver Birchhoff, Christian Karembeu, Aliosa Asanovič, and Nadine Kessler, as well as Theodoros Zagorakis, Angelos Basinas, Dimitris Papadopoulos, and Dimitra Panteliadou.
*Photo source: AR
