Football Supporters Europe (FSE) headed to Asunción, Paraguay, last month for a two-day international event focused on the future development of the Supporter Liaison Officer (SLO) role in South American football.
The event brought together partners involved in FSE’s Towards the Professional Development of SLOs (TPDS) project, alongside representatives from CONMEBOL, UEFA, the Paraguayan Football Association, and a range of football stakeholders from across the region.
The first day of the programme included a match observation visit to the Paraguayan División Professional fixture between Club Olimpia and Cerro Porteño at the Estadio Defensores del Chaco.
The visit provided valuable insight into how football matches are planned, prepared, and delivered within the South American context, while also offering an opportunity to exchange experiences and perspectives around supporter liaison, matchday operations, and stadium management.
The second day centred around the project’s multiplier event, hosted at CONMEBOL’s headquarters in Asunción, with around 60 participants attending the full-day programme. Discussions covered all major aspects of the TPDS project, including the development of training courses, occupational standards, and the wider roadmap for introducing and implementing the SLO role across South America.
A significant focus throughout the discussions was placed on how the SLO role could be adapted to reflect the realities of South American context. Particular emphasis was given to the specificities of the local fan culture, and the importance of meaningful stakeholder engagement in ensuring legitimacy and long-term success for the SLO role.
The event generated strong interest among attendees, with extensive discussion and engagement throughout the day. Participants explored both the opportunities and challenges connected to implementing structured supporter dialogue mechanisms within different national and cultural contexts across South America.
Across both days, the event was characterised by open and constructive discussion and a strong willingness among stakeholders to exchange knowledge and experiences. The multiplier event also represented an important opportunity to present the findings and outcomes of the TPDS project to a broad range of new international stakeholders.
The level of engagement and interest shown by South American counterparts provided further encouragement that one of the long-term legacies of the TPDS project could be the future introduction and development of the SLO role across South American football.
Following the visit, FSE’s SLO Development Officer, Tony Ernst, said: “From the outset of the TPDS project, we wanted to be ambitious in working with our South American partners on instilling a solid foundation for SLO development on the continent. Throughout the two days, we were encouraged by the willingness to engage in the discussions, offering clear reflections of the landscape in South American football, and the buy in to the steps to grow supporter liaison mechanisms. From FSE’s perspective, we’re also very proud to be championing the SLO role beyond Europe. Ultimately, better supporter liaison results in better matchdays for fans, no matter where you are in the world, which is something all stakeholders can get behind.”
CONMEBOL’s Sustainability Coordinator, Federico Chaves Cortés, added: “Participating in the TPDS project over the past two years has been a valuable opportunity for CONMEBOL to analyze, exchange experiences, and better understand different approaches to supporter engagement and stadium safety in football. Closing this journey with the workshop in Paraguay was especially meaningful, as it brought together clubs, associations, confederations, experts, and public institutions around a shared vision of making football safer, more inclusive and truly centered on the fans. The discussions and exchanges generated throughout the project leave important insights and experiences for the development of football in our region.”
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