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'Long and exciting adventure' commences

UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino welcomed the start of the new club competition season, calling on clubs to respect football, its integrity, and the millions of fans who follow the game.

Fighting match-fixing is a must for UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino
Fighting match-fixing is a must for UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino ©Getty Images

UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino has hailed the start of a "long and exciting adventure" as the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League seasons got under way with the opening qualifying draws in Nyon on Monday.

"You may write part of this adventure with the performances and the goals of your teams," Mr Infantino said as the pairings were drawn for the first and second qualifying rounds in both of UEFA's major club competitions.

Mr Infantino reminded those present of the prestige and appeal of the UEFA Champions League, and their duty to uphold the game's values. "The UEFA Champions League is the top club competition in the world, loved by fans across the globe," he said. "It is the competition that all the great players and clubs want to take part in." The final will take place at Berlin's Olympiastadion on Saturday 6 June 2015.

"So you're honoured to enter a tournament where the best clubs and the brightest football stars of the world belong," Mr Infantino told the clubs. "But you also bear the responsibility to respect the game and its millions of fans by ensuring that all the matches are played fairly."

The UEFA General Secretary emphasised at the draw ceremonies that football was facing a growing threat in the form of match-fixing. "Match-fixing must have no place whatsoever in football and this is why UEFA is utterly determined to step up its fight against this scourge," he said.

"Our aim is that anyone involved in the manipulation of matches will not only face a football life ban, but also criminal charges… Match-fixing is first and foremost criminal – a crime which has the potential to kill our beautiful game." Mr Infantino urged club representatives, if approached, to recognise what was happening, reject the approach and report it.

Looking at the UEFA Europa League season ahead, Mr Infantino said that Monday's draw marked the opening of the last year in the three-year competition cycle. "As the cycle draws to a close," he reflected, "we feel very proud of the achievements of this competition as a whole. We are already looking forward to the new format and sporting improvements that will make it even more successful as from 2015/16.

"The [UEFA Europa League] has given experience to a great number of clubs in Europe and has provided thrilling moments to numerous fans across the world," the UEFA General Secretary concluded. "It has been won by prestigious clubs. Club Atlético de Madrid, winners in 2010 and 2012, made it the stepping stone for their fabulous run of last season. And this year, we are preparing for the emotions of a tournament which will remain wide open until the final on 27 May at the National Stadium in Warsaw."

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