FISU meets with FIFA and EUSA

LAUSANNE – On 8 January, FISU representatives paid a visit to the FIFA Headquarters in Zürich, Switzerland in the frame of the collaboration convention discussions implemented with all FISU partner International Sports Federations. The delegation led by Leonz Eder, FISU Vice-President and chairperson for the World University Championships International Technical Committee and Paulo Ferreira, WUC Director was very well received at FIFA and welcomed by Joseph Blatter, FIFA President, Mustapha Fahmy, FIFA Competitions Division Director and Jaime Yarza, FIFA Senior Manager of Futsal and Beach Soccer.

After an introduction by Mr Blatter and the enunciation of the strong will of both organisations for a closer cooperation, FISU as the international governing body for university sports and FIFA its counterpart in the field of football, discussed the content of the Memorandum of Understanding to be signed between the two bodies ruling the practice of Football and Futsal as part of the Summer Universiade and World University Championships programmes.

This memorandum of understanding will oversee issues such as the sport calendar, the international technical officials’ appointment, as well as various shared projects such as the fight against racism, homophobia or violence. This signals a stronger collaboration between the two organisations for the promotion of both football, futsal and university sport.

The next university football event will be the men’s and women’s tournaments of the Summer Universiade to be held in Gwangju (KOR) next July, while the next World University Futsal Championship will take place in Goiania (BRA) in August 2016.

FISU WUC Department then had the chance to meet with EUSA at the occasion of the visits of both parties in Zürich. Matjaz Pecovnik, EUSA Secretary General, Leonz Eder, FISU Vice-President and chair for the World University Championships International Technical Committee and Paulo Ferreira, WUC Director had the opportunity to discuss issues such as the cooperation of both organisations on the establishment of their respective sport calendars, as well as the potential collaboration on seminars to be held by both associations for their events’ organisers.

Such cooperation will be reinforced in the future, notably with the invitation to the World University Championships Organising Committees Seminar extended to all Continental University Sports Federations.

(Source: Julien Buhajezuk, WUC Dept.)

Leonz Eder (second from the right) with Sepp Blatter The FIFA President