UEFA to change Intertoto
20/09/2005 - 19:05:03
UEFA are set to reform their Intertoto Cup competition to give more clubs a chance to qualify for the UEFA Cup.
Under the current system, the three clubs who progress furthest in the Intertoto Cup go into the UEFA Cup’s final qualifying round.
UEFA’s executive committee will tomorrow meet in Rome and consider a proposal to allow the 11 best-performing sides into the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup, and for a maximum of one club per country to enter the Intertoto Cup.
The change would give more chance to clubs from smaller countries to make into the preliminary rounds of the UEFA Cup.
Meanwhile, England and Scotland are among the first five countries to have grass-roots football programmes officially endorsed by UEFA.
Pilot projects from England, Scotland, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands have been ratified by UEFA’s executive committee.
The programmes are aimed at ensuring sufficient junior coaches, training programmes for children of all ages and promoting fair play and anti-racism.
UEFA president Lennart Johansson said: “Grassroots football provides the foundation of our game. If the grassroots are not cultivated, football at all levels will suffer, and it is UEFA’s desire to help the associations develop thriving grassroots programmes.”
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