UEFA•direct 147 out now

The 39th UEFA Ordinary Congress in Vienna last month, and a series of important decisions and announcements at the UEFA Executive Committee meeting in the Austrian capital, are focal points of the latest edition of UEFA's official publication, UEFA•direct.

This year's Congress was marked by the re-election by acclamation of Michel Platini for a third four-year term as UEFA President, as well as elections to the UEFA and FIFA Executive Committees. UEFA•direct looks back at the highlights in Vienna, including Mr Platini’s addresses to Europe's football parliament, in which he expressed his pride at being asked to continue at the helm of European football, praised the achievements of UEFA's 54 member associations, and outlined the many challenges met since he became President in 2007, as well as those which still lay ahead.

Michel Platini also speaks about the Congress in his editorial column, and describes the event as "a very special occasion for me… I feel truly honoured and privileged to have been entrusted with another mandate," is his message to the European national associations.

"I meant what I said in my speech regarding the pride I feel in the way we work together for the greater good of European football," Mr Platini writes. "Together we have conquered many challenges and overcome many obstacles, but we all know there is still a lot of work to be done."

The UEFA President expresses concern about one issue that continues to garner negative headlines. "I have become deeply concerned about the behaviour of fans in and around our stadiums," he says. "It was not so long ago that hooliganism was the greatest threat to the future of our game and we must take this rise in violence seriously and act now to stamp it out. I cannot and will not accept seeing players being victims of verbal or physical abuse on the field of play and fully support our disciplinary bodies in the tough measures they have taken to close stadiums and impose heavy fines.

"Of course, football cannot fight this scourge alone," Mr Platini concludes. "We need the support of all our stakeholders and the authorities, therefore I will once again explore the possibility of creating a police force that can deal specifically with this problem."

On a happier note, UEFA•direct includes homage to Şenes Erzik, a UEFA Executive Committee member since 1990 and UEFA vice-president for 21 years, after his retirement from UEFA duties at the Vienna Congress. "Şenes always worked tirelessly to make sure that the best decisions were taken to uphold our values and will be sorely missed," is Michel Platini’s point of view. "I was lucky all through my fabulous football journey through time," adds Erzik, "witnessing and being part of some of the most important changes in European football."

One of the key announcements to come out of Vienna was the new financial distribution system for UEFA's club competitions for the 2015-18 cycle, which sees substantial increases in the amounts available to participating clubs, and enhanced solidarity payments to clubs eliminated in the early stages of the UEFA club competitions, as well as to non-participating clubs via their national associations and/or leagues. UEFA•direct outlines the facts and figures related to this move in comprehensive detail.

Every year, UEFA donates €100,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to help fund the latter organisation's rehabilitation programme for landmine victims. The donation is passed on the ICRC by players selected by fans for UEFA.com users' Team of the Year, and this year's presenters were Real Madrid CF stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Toni Kroos. UEFA•direct looks at the ICRC's work, and talks to those benefitting from this invaluable programme to provide artificial limbs, physiotherapy and vocational training – and which uses football as means of creating a bright future for so many people. "This donation is crucial," says ICRC director general Yves Daccord, "because it allows us not only to give physical support but to go a step further in integrating people into society."

UEFA has set up a new elite player development project – the UEFA Elite Youth Player Development Programme – designed to help Europe's national associations nurture their talented youngsters and develop effective national academy systems. The programme is moving into top gear now, and UEFA•direct takes the opportunity to speak to the three associations who have been involved at pilot level, Armenia, Georgia and FYR Macedonia, about the impact that UEFA's help has had so far.

Important finals and tournaments lie ahead. UEFA•direct focuses on preparations in Warsaw, the setting for the UEFA Europa League final on 27 May; Berlin, and its specific work ahead of the UEFA Women's Champions League final this week; and Bulgaria, proud hosts of the European Under-17 Championship which is currently taking place – the first UEFA youth tournament since 2002 to feature 16 teams.

UEFA•direct is published in English, French and German, and is essential reading for anyone interested in UEFA's activities and competitions, and the sterling work undertaken by Europe's national football associations.