Author: FSE

2030 & 2034: It’s the end of the World Cup as we know it

FIFA continues its cycle of destruction against the greatest tournament on earth.  

FIFA has encouraged two rival bids for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups, South America (Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina) and Europe & Africa (Spain, Portugal and Morocco), to combine into one bid for 2030. In doing so, FIFA narrowed down the confederations eligible to bid for 2034 to countries from Asia and Oceania only. This leaves just one country within these regions with expressed public interest in hosting the 2034 edition, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

The 2030 format announced on 4 October 2023 will be horrendous for supporters, disregards the environment, and rolls out the red carpet to a host for 2034 with an appalling human rights record. End to end, the 2030 tournament will cover six countries, six time zones apart and could feature round trips of over 20,000km. All to allow Saudi Arabia to bid for 2034 uncontested. FIFA has since reportedly given Australia (and any other interested parties) a meagre 25 days to compile a rival bid. 

The announced plan for 2030 shows no consideration for match-going supporters The costs for fans will be astronomical should their team be drawn to play in South America for one game, only to then set course for Europe and/or North Africa for the remainder of the tournament.  

FIFA totally neglects the impact the proposal will have on the planet and its own commitments to environmental sustainability. The unnecessary air travel that teams, national associations, journalists, tournament staff and supporters will be forced to take will significantly impact the tournament’s carbon footprint.  

It’s not a “celebration of the beautiful game” as FIFA claims, it’s a slap in the face of match-going fans and a mockery of its own sustainability strategy.  

FIFA also demonstrates it has no interest in learning from Qatar or holding bids to human rights criteria by giving Saudi Arabia an uncontested platform for 2034. Back in February 2023, Human Rights Watch wrote to FIFA asking for information about the due diligence on human rights ahead of awarding hosting rights for major tournaments, for which they received no response. 

If the World Cup has grown so cumbersome in its competition design that FIFA’s only choice is between Saudi Arabia and spreading it across six nations, then the model needs to be reconsidered, because it is clearly not fit for purpose. 

FIFA is chasing the illusion of a forever growth: more teams, more games, more countries, more World Cups. Hidden behind opaque bidding processes, FIFA is turning every World Cup into a dystopia, and football and supporters will directly suffer because of it. 

It’s the end of the World Cup as we know it. 

VACANCY: Fan.Tastic Finals Project Manager  

The application window has now closed.

Football Supporters Europe (FSE) is seeking an experienced, part-time project manager, ideally with a background of involvement with or knowledge of the European supporters’ movement or football generally.  

The successful candidate will have strong experience in managing projects and/or events as well as the capacity to work autonomously as a remote worker. 

FSE is the democratic voice of European football fans. We are an independent, non-profit association of fans recognised as a representative body on fan issues by institutions such as UEFA and the Council of Europe. Since the summer of 2018, the Fan.Tastic Females exhibition has been touring Germany and further afield in a celebration of female supporters within football. Now, ahead of UEFA EURO 2024 next summer, we are updating the exhibition with new and additional interviews and content from across the National Teams supporter landscape, and we’re seeking support to help us do so! 

FSE is an equal opportunities employer, and we very much welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We offer a flexible and supportive working environment, with the opportunity for personal and professional development.   

JOB SPECIFICATION 

POSITION  Project Manager 
Place of Work Remote working, but ideally based in Germany 
Working hours Mini job roles x2, or one part-time role 
Remuneration  Negotiable, depending on experience  
Period  9-month fixed term 

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Fan.Tastic Finals Project Manager(s) will manage all day-to-day activities related to the new tour.  

Duties include: 

  • Working with UEFA EURO 2024 partners, football stakeholders and colleagues, oversee the process of updating the exhibition’s content and create a schedule for the new tour 
  • Management of all administrative tasks related to the project, including expense tracking and financial reporting (training will be provided) 
  • Engagement and management of external expertise needed for the content creation process 
  • Tracking the progress of the project’s core deliverables and milestones  
  • Manage all queries related to the project 
  • Be available to support and/or tour with the exhibition at times next summer (June-July) 

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS 

Essential:  

  • Experienced project and/or event manager Excellent written and spoken German and English proficiency  
  • Good communication, organisational, writing and networking skills, and high attention to detail  
  • Experience in the administration of financial tasks  
  • Proficient in Microsoft tools including Teams and Office 
  • Ability to work effectively with dynamic and diverse staff  
  • High level of resilience 
  • Team spirit and the ability to work independently  

Preferable:  

  • Strong background in areas relating to football supporters  
  • Experience in content creation and management of content creators 
  • Educated to degree level  
  • An additional EU language  

VACANCY: OFFICE MANAGER

The application window has now closed.

Football Supporters Europe (FSE) is seeking an experienced, part-time Office Manager, ideally with a background of involvement with or knowledge of the European supporters’ movement or football generally.  

The successful candidate will have demonstrable experience in the management of a German non-profit organisation, the capacity to work autonomously as an organised, remote worker, and be expected to travel occasionally 

FSE is the democratic voice of European football fans. We are an independent, non-profit association of fans recognised as a representative body on fan issues by institutions such as UEFA and the Council of Europe.  

FSE is an equal opportunities employer, and we very much welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We offer a flexible and supportive working environment, with the opportunity for personal and professional development.   

JOB SPECIFICATION 

POSITION  Office Manager  
Place of Work Remote working, within the EU  
Working hours 20h/week, with potential extension 
Remuneration  Negotiable, depending on experience  
Period  1-year fixed term, with potential for renewal  

FSE is a diverse organisation, registered in Hamburg (Germany) with currently nine employees located in six different countries. We are looking for an experienced Office Manager, with the capacity to work in a fully remote and international environment, and strong experience in the German non-profit sector. 

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Office Manager will support and organise day-to-day operations for FSE 

Duties include: 

  • Manage all administrative tasks related to Football Supporters Europe e.V. 
  • Oversight of financial tasks, including payments, invoices, expenses, and travel bookings for the organisation 
  • Tracking the progress of FSE’s core deliverables and milestones  
  • Assist with the preparation and timely submission of reports, in particular financial reports, as necessary  
  • Developing FSE’s reporting and administrative capacity 
  • Contribute to the organisation of FSE events, particularly FSE’s Biannual General Meeting, with a focus on budget and logistics 
  • Assist with FSE membership care and general queries to the FSE Office 
  • Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed. 

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

Essential:  

  • Knowledge of German administration and management of German non-profit organisation 
  • Experienced office manager 
  • Written and spoken German and English proficiency  
  • Good communication, organisational, writing and networking skills and high attention to detail  
  • Experience in the administration of financial tasks  
  • Proficient in Microsoft tools including Teams and Office 
  • Ability to work effectively with dynamic and diverse staff  
  • High level of resilience  
  • Ability to demonstrate experience in successful process improvement 
  • Excellent reporting skills  
  • Team spirit and the ability to work independently  

Preferable:  

  • Strong background in areas relating to football supporters  
  • International experience and exposure to best practices in management  
  • Educated to degree level  
  • At least one additional EU language  
  • Experience in events organisation 

FUTURE OF FOOTBALL: A STRONGER VOICE FOR YOUNGER PEOPLE IN THE GAME

Football Supporters Europe (FSE) is excited to announce the beginning of a new Erasmus+ project that will focus on increasing the numbers of young people involved in democratic structures within supporters’ organisations and football clubs. 

“Future of Football” will run until Autumn of 2025, and involves supporter organisations and partners from 5 EU countries, England & Wales, and Africa, through the continental fans organisation Sandlanders.  

The core project group will work with younger supporters from England & Wales, Germany, Norway, Spain and Sweden to create a series of toolkits and training materials that will then be delivered at selected clubs within each country.  

The activity will be supported by research and insight gathered by the Netherlands’ only independent sports research entity, Mulier Institute, which will also deliver tailored analysis for each partner country. A series of national and European youth forums will reinforce the research, learnings, and impact.  

FSE Executive Director Ronan Evain said: “At a time when supporters’ voices need to be included more than ever by football’s key stakeholders, it is vital to ensure the priorities of the next generation of active supporters are a part of the conversation too. 

“Working with the project partners and our FSE membership, this project will pave the way to establish the foundations for lasting structures of influence for younger supporters at national and European level.” 

Future of Football Partners: 

  • FSA, England & Wales;  
  • FSE and Unsere Kurve, Germany 
  • Norsk Supportersallianse, Norway 
  • FASFE, Spain 
  • SFSU, Sweden 
  • Sandlanders, Africa 
  • Mulier Institute, Netherlands 

As part of the project, FSE is now looking to recruit four experts in youth participation with funding available to support their involvement (time and travel) in the activities. These experts will contribute their knowledge in and around youth participation, supporting the development of the toolkits and activities. For further information, email: info@fanseurope.org. Expressions of interest will be considered until Friday, September 29th, 2023. 

With the core project coordinating group established and research underway, the first in-person project partners meeting is planned for December 2023. As the project progresses, FSE will publish the project’s learning materials and resources to amplify the impact of its outcomes. 

In addition, if any FSE members or stakeholders within the game would like to be kept informed of progress and involved in activities where possible, reach out to: info@fanseurope.org.  

THE NEXT STAGE OF THE SLO ROLE’S EVOLUTION: FSE’S LATEST ERASMUS+ PROJECT 

Football Supporters Europe (FSE) is delighted to announce details of its latest Erasmus+ funded project, which aims to take the development of the Supporter Liaison Officer (SLO) role to the next level. The project, titled Towards the Professional Development of SLOs (TPDS), builds on 13 years of expertise of fan organisations’ driving the full and proper implementation of UEFA’s licensing requirement on supporter liaison.  

Today, despite the wide embrace of the role across many of Europe’s leagues, there is no consistent approach to exactly what an SLO is or does, or what experience and personal characteristics are needed to be successful in the role. This comes at a time when SLOs are asked to deliver meaningful change for more stakeholders than ever before, fans, clubs, leagues, police, safety staff and many other stakeholders. 

TPDS has been designed to identify the specific knowledge, skills, and attributes, commonly known as ‘occupational standards’, needed to excel in the SLO role. The objective in doing so is to help clubs and national associations hire the right people and existing SLOs to fulfil their potential. In parallel, working with four leading universities from across Europe, the project aims to establish pathways for individuals to learn and become experts in supporter liaison through a series of higher education degrees.  

In addition, TPDS achieves another milestone for FSE by becoming its first project to feature a partner from South America. Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (COMNEBOL), the South American Football Confederation, is an official partner in the project, and FSE will work with their staff on developing a road map for the establishment of the SLO role on the continent. 

FSE’s Head of SLO Development, Lena Gustafson Wiberg, said: “The SLO role has come a long way over the last 13 years, but it’s now at a stage where to give greater certainty to clubs, supporters, and SLOs themselves, there needs to be robust industry standards and access to professional education in place.  

“Many supporters already engage with their club’s SLO. and know the value the role brings to their matchday experience, whether at home or away. This project will have a positive impact for fans because the more SLOs who receive tailored educational support on how best to perform their role, the better matchdays for more supporters across Europe. 

“This is our third EU-funded project focused solely on the Supporter Liaison Officer role. We are delighted to be working with four progressive universities with a track record on delivering best in class education.  

“To have COMNEBOL as a project partner also signals the recognition of FSE’s expertise in pushing the development and wide adoption of the SLO function for over a decade now. We are also pleased to have UEFA’s support for this project’s aims, following our continuing partnership via the UEFA Academy where we jointly provide concise and specific training to SLOs through their National Associations.”  

Along with FSE, the project partners in TPDS are: 

  • University of Limoges (France) 
  • University of Kassel (Germany) 
  • University of Gdansk (Poland) 
  • University of Malmö (Sweden)  
  • European Observatoire Of Sport & Employment (France) 
  • Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol – COMNEBOL (Paraguay) 

Focusing on three countries (France, Sweden and Poland), which are all in varying stages of their SLO development journey, TPDS is geared towards establishing higher education courses specifically focused on the SLO role in partnership with a university in each. The University of Kassel in Germany, which has already created a higher education course centred on SLOs together with the University of Potsdam, will work with its counterpart universities in each country to offer its expertise and experience.  

The existing UEFA Academy SLO Education Programme, led in partnership between FSE and UEFA, serves as a springboard for TPDS. The project was designed in response to the demand for the wider implementation of SLOs in European football and works in tandem with the SLO Education Programme by catering for different audiences in varying stages of their supporter liaison journey. The relevant football governing body in each country will also act as associate partners in TPDS to assist with achieving the project’s objectives. 

With research and preparatory work already well underway, the project’s next step will be a two-day partners meeting in Frankfurt this October 2023 to be attended by all project partners and additional relevant football stakeholders. 

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