Last Sunday, two FC Barcelona former players, Joan Vilà and Pepito Ramos, were invited by EFPA member PSBP to address a select group of national Polish grassroots coaches to speak about the embedded social and educational values within training sessions for children.

Within the EFPA European cooperation network, Joan Vilà and Pepito Ramos, both former players and coaches, were welcomed in Warsaw by PSBP President, Dariusz Dziekanowski, and the Polish Minister of Sport,  during their stay in the Polish capital city. They were invited by the Polish Federation of Former Players, PSBP, to share their grassroots training expertise with a number of professional Polish coaches as well as other professional coaches, such as Kit Symons.

During their 2-day stay they also put into practise what had been discussed within the forum with the young footballers of Akademia Orlika, by coaching a special training session with a group of 25 young footballers aged 10- 12.

Dariusz Dziekanowski, a Polish former international player himself, led the creation of PSBP in 2007 and became the second National Federation of Former Players to be promoted by EFPA after the Spanish FEAFV.

The Sports Group of European Former Football Players Association (EFPA) has announced today that it will be holding its annual Congress in Liverpool, the first time it has been held outside its founding city of Barcelona.
The event will take place over the 15th and 16th April, and will feature the first ever European conference for former players to communicate the benefits to professional clubs of having a former players’ foundation.
Contributors will include Gordon Taylor of the PFA and a number of leading professionals from clubs and the business side of football.
Ramon Alfonseda, a former Barcelona player and President of EFPA said: “We are very pleased to be coming to Liverpool in April next year.  We are conscious that this is the 21st anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy and we plan our own respectful tribute on the day.”
“Following last week’s decision to include Liverpool in the World Cup bid,  we will also be asking this ‘iconic footballing city’ to host the inaugural EFPA Champions Cup, which will be a former European players’ 5-a-side tournament at the Echo Arena on 16th April. We expect to announce the participation of some world class players in the new year, and we also expect to have some very exciting managers to be leading the teams.
“In world cup year, we will also be asking the schoolchildren of Liverpool to join us in a number of the events, and also to link hands with schoolchildren in Africa to recognise the connections we as a family of football have.”
Liverpool solicitor Laurence Lee, chairman of the Everton Former Players Foundation, which is a founding member of EFPA said: “This is a great honour for our city and I will be delighted to welcome EFPA for what I am sure will be a very memorable visit. The work they do for former players is moving and inspirational, and we plan to invite many of England’s and Scotland’s clubs to attend the conference, as well as a number of well known local former players.”

Mr. Antal Duani, Eduardo Juan and Dr. Gábor Hórvath.

Supported by the Hungarian FA and the Players Association, EFPA delegates arrived in Budapest to put forward its mission and objectives as well as to encourage Hungarian clubs to take the initiative and constitute the National Federation of Former Players. Eduardo Juan, EFPA's representative for National Federations, addressed a group of professional football club representatives at the seat of the Hungarian FA to explain EFPA's projects for the coming years and to set the first stepping-stone to the creation of the Hungarian Former Players Association.

Escorted by Dr. Gábor Hórvath, from the PFA and Mr. Antal Dunai, Vicepresident of the MLSZ, the attendants resolved to start working on the future Estatutes of the Federation so that it can be presented at EFPA’s 2010 EFPA Congress in April.

Giancarlo Abete, President of the Italian Football Association (FIGC) has become a new Honourary Member of EFPA joining his Portuguese counterpart, Gilberto Madaíl, UEFA President, Michel Platini and football legends such as Alfredo di Stéfano.

EFPA’s invitation to Mr. Abete comes within the framework of EFPA’s approach to European Football Associations which aims at raising the profile of former football professionals by bringing them closer to football institutions.

A graphic and publishing entrepreneur, Abete has been President of the Italian FA since 2007 and holds relevant positions within UEFA and FIFA technical committees.

Former FC Barcelona player and EFPA Sports Vice-President, Josep Moratalla travelled to Milan yesterday to attend the Italian edition of the Homeless World Cup.

Together with Polish former international, Dariusz Dziekanowski and Italian legendary coach Arrigo Sacchi, they attended the first day of competition to support the Homeless World Cup and promote football as a means of social integration.

During his visit, Josep Moratalla had the opportunity to meet Spain's Team and did the kick-off to the Spain-Lithuania game which the Spaniards lost 6-2.

Dariusz Diekanowski, EFPA Board Member and President of PSBP, was invited by Homeless World Cup and accepted to be coach of the Polish Team of Homeless Players.

Arrigo Sacchi, EFPA Coach, also wanted to support the Homeless World Cup and attended on Monday afternoon and did the kick-off to the Italy- Luxemburg game.

Barcelona, August 31st, 2009. A selected group of FC Barcelona former players had the honour to visit Everton ground this last weekend invited through EFPA.

Former FC Barcelona players, Josep Serer, Pere Valentí Mora and Joan Vilà travelled to Liverpool on Saturday alongside EFPA Expansion Manager, Eduardo Juan, as they had been invited to attend the Everton FC - Wigan FC game at Goodison Park. Sponsored by Thailand-based Swedish businessman, Lennart Roth, the match had been programmed to pay tribute to former players and their role in football history. Thus they had the honour to step on the pitch on half time together with Everton former players to feel the warmth of excited Evertonians.  

Hosts and guests also had the opportunity to meet Everton defender, Joseph Yobo and Everton President, Bill Kenwright, who stopped by the sponsors' lounge to personally welcome FC Barcelona delegation and Everton FC legends, Mark Higgins, Nigel Martyn, Anders Limpar and Niclas Alexandersson.

The President of the Portuguese Football Association, Mr. Gilberto Praca Madail, has gratefully accepted the honour of becoming an Honourary Member of EFPA.

Having UEFA President as Honourary President, EFPA seeks to acknowledge the work carried out by the National Federations by granting an Honourary Membership to their respective Presidents. To this end, it also aims at building bridges between former players and active players through this Honourary Membership.

Mr. Madail was appointed President of the Portuguese FA in 1996 after a long and successful career in managing Portuguese football clubs and regional associations. In 2004 he became a member of UEFA's Executive Committee and holds a position within the Organising Committee of FIFA's World Championship.

EFPA President, Ramon Alfonseda, attended yesterday the one-day seminar on fair play hosted by Italian Former Players Federation, AIEC, in Ishia, Italy.
Together with the EFPA’s head of expansion strategy, Eduardo Juan and former FC Barcelona player Eusebio Sacristán, Mr. Alfonseda was invited by the recently nominated President of the Italian Former Players Federation, Antonio Cabrini to address a number of former players on the Italian isle of Ischia about EFPA and the values of football.

Attendees included Gennaro Testa, Ivan Nonni, former Italian international Antonio Cabrini, Demetrio Albertini and Franco Campana who had recently hosted a conference on Fair Play in Barcelona.
During the seminar there was also a joint EFPA and AIEC working committee to discuss the next steps forward both in the Italian and the European front. Both Alfonseda and Sacristán have given very positive feedback on the encounter given the interesting proposals the Italian organisation has for former players in Italy. Alfonseda said to be “very pleased with the outcome of the meeting because the AIEC has given valuable new input into EFPA that can be easily exported to other European countries”.

AIEC logo

AIEC is the fourth Former Player Federation to be constituted in Europe following Spanish FEAFV, Polish PSBP and British BAFPA. Like its counterparts, one of the main objectives of AIEC is to be a point of reference for professional football players once they end their careers and to help them redirect their professional lives into other areas of sport, such as managers, technical staff, sports journalists, etc. Furthermore, it aims at providing support from the financial, health and social points of view to those former players who find difficulty in adapting to a normal life.

At the foundational meeting held at the seat of the Italian PA in Vicenza, former world cup winner Anotonio Cabrini was appointed President and Mr. Sergio Campana, Chairman of the AIC (Italian PA) was granted the Honourary Presidency. Mr. Silvano Maioli was appointed Secertary General. Other Board Members are: Diego Bonavina (Vicepresident), Demetrio Albertini, Massimo Briaschi, Giuseppe Lelj, Luciano Miani, Ivan Nonni, Fabio Pecchia, Gennaro Testa, Antonino De Silvestri and Roberto Dalla Montà.

As the Italian branch of EFPA, AIEC will work in full consonance with EFPA’s objecitvies and help achieve EFPA’s goals in the Italian territory.