On the weekend of May 11th the Aberdeen Former Players celebrated their finest hour 25 years on. It was back in May 1983 that Aberdeen defeated Real Madrid to win the European Cup Winners Cup in the Ullevi Stadion in Gothenburg. It was perhaps significant that the Aberdeen manager at that time was Alex Ferguson who has just taken his Manchester Utd side to Champions League success.

The Aberdeen success in 1983 was Ferguson's first in Europe and paved the way for his move to Manchester in 1986. Aberdeen triumphed in 1983 after defeating Bayern Munich in the quarter finals before Real Madrid, led by the legendary Alfredo Di Stefano were humbled by an Aberdeen side made up entirely of Scottish born players.
No less then 13 of the original 17 man squad returned to Aberdeen for a weekend of nostalgia. The players were initially inducted into the local council hall of fame before a gala dinner at the Aberdeen Exhibition Centre before more than 800 guests. The day after it was the turn of the fans to show their appreciation and the weekend closed with a film of the 1983 final.

German former players associations Borussia Dortmund and Alemannia Aachen officially joined EFPA after the successful II edition of the EFPA Congress held in Barcelona in April. With these new two German members, representation from this country grows to five clubs and hopes to enlarge the list by 2009 when Mr. Ramon Alfonseda, EFPA President, and Michael Kentshcke, of Bayer 04 Leverkusen, plan to hold several key meetings in Germany.

Borussia Dortmund were represented at this II EFPA Congress by President Günter Kutowski and Tim Gutberlet who supported the objectives EFPA aims to achieve and had the opportunity to discuss with other German associations the situation of former players in Europe.  Alemannia Aachen were not present in this second edition but had already attended the I Congress in March 2007.

Furthermore, Greek former players of PAOK Thessaloniki have also joined EFPA after attending the Congress in April along with two other Hellenic associations, OFI Crete and Olympiacos, both founding members of EFPA.

• The opening session has counted with the presence of Alfredo di Stefano, Ángel María Villar, Gerardo Movilla, Rafael Yuste, Montserrat Sánchez Yuste, Town Councillor of the Les Corts city district, and Ramon Alfonseda.
  

Photo by David Cuella

The II EFPA Congress has counted with the presence and support of Ángel María Villar, representing the UEFA and as president of RFEF; Gerardo G. Movilla, president of FIFPro and AFE; and Alfredo Di Stefano, Emilio Butragueño, Carles Rexach, John Toshack, José Ángel Iríbar, Fernando Molinos and Xavier Azkargorta, among other.

Through the day, a series of speeches and round tables have taken place to analyze and discuss the role of former players and the future of football. Ramon Alfonseda, president of EFPA has remarked “veterans must be a model for the young, promoting the values of football which is not just a sport, but also a medium to further fair play, comradeship, integration and respect”. “The way of former players is solidarity” – Alfonseda has stressed. In this sense, the initiatives of organisations such as Cross Cultures and Homeless WorldCup, devoted to promote activities of social character among former players, have been presented. 

The Homeless WorldCup is an initiative of Mel Young, and was born in 2001 to further football as an international language for communication among the homeless. The first Cup was held in Austria in 2003, with 18 teams, and in 2005 the number of participating countries grew up to 48. Presently, 60 countries and 30,000 people train for this year’s Cup in Melbourne. 77% of the participants leave problems of drug and alcohol addiction and get work, education, a home, and some become trainers or professional and semi professional players.

The II EFPA Congress has reached an excellent participation success with the presence of more than 40 former players Associations in all Europe, with the outstanding presence of those coming from Spain, Greece, Great Britain, Germany and Poland.

Photo by David Cuella

Un acto institucional ha puesto en marcha la segunda jornada del EFPA Congress en Barcelona. El presidente de la EFPA, Ramón Alfonseda, ha agradecido la colaboración de todas las instituciones implicadas y ha animado a todas las asociaciones de veteranos de Europa a formar parte de la EFPA. Además de Alfonseda, el acto inaugural ha contado con la presencia del president de la Real Federación Española de Fútbol, Ángel María Villar, el presidente de AFE, Gerardo Movilla, el Presidente de Honor del Real Madrid, Alfredo Di Stéfano, el directivo del FC Barcelona, Rafael Yuste, y la concejala de distrito, Montserrat Sánchez.

Fotos: David Cuella

The II Congress of the EFPA will begin tomorrow in the facilities of the Barcelona Football Club in Barcelona. Under the theme ‘Still Playing’ the Congress will develop a series of activities to debate and analyze the role of former football players and the future of football.

The objectives of this Congress are to make the Association known in all Europe, to become a forum for the debate of today’s and tomorrow’s football and to promote the values of football and fair play among the young.

On Friday will take place the Annual Assemblies of EFPA and FEAFV (Spanish Federation of Associations of Old Football Players), respectively chaired by Ramón Alfonseda and Juan María Zorriqueta. The presentation of the collaboration agreement between the FEAFV and the AFE, with the presence of their presidents, Juan María Zorriqueta and Gerardo González Movilla will take place at 18:00 hours, in the Sala París.

On Saturday, also in Sala París, activities will begin at 10:30 hours with the official opening of the II EFPA Congress Alfredo di Stéfano, Angel maría Villar, Joan Laporta, Pere Alcober, Gerardo Movilla y Ramon Alfonseda.

Photo by: David Cuella

Then, several speeches and round tables will allow the exchange of opinions on former players and their reality, the role of associations in Europe and the former player as a model for the young. This cycle of conferences will count with the presence, among other, of Emilio Butragueño, Carles Rexach, John Toshack, José Ángel Iríbar, Fernando Molinos and Xavier Azkargorta.

Various organisations devoted to promote socially oriented activities among former football players will be introduced. They are organisations such as Cross Cultures and Homeless WorldCup. Mel Young, Founder and President of the Homeless WorldCup, is recognized as one of the most important social entrepreneurs worldwide. In 2001 he created the Homeless WorldCup to further football as an international language among the homeless. The first cup was held in Austria in 2003 with 18 teams and, in 2005, the number of participating countries went up to 48. Now, 60 countries and 30,000 people train for this year’s cup in Melbourne.

The impact on the life of the Cup’s participants is highly significant. Seventy seven per cent change their lives, leaving their addiction to drugs and alcohol, getting a job, education, a home, and some become semi professional or professional trainers and players.

This initiative counts with the support of the UN and the UEFA; has Eric Cantona as its ambassador; and is supported by prestigious football players such as Didier Drogba and Rio Ferdinand, and of trainers such as Alex Ferguson.

• The press conference has been attended by Ramón Alfonseda, President of EFPA; Rafael Yuste, member of the FC Barcelona Board in charge of the Sports Area (youth teams) and the Social Area (Fundación FC Barcelona); Fernando Molinos, former RCD Espanyol player; and Paco Camarasa, former Valencia CF player.

Photo by David Cuella

Today's event has been attended by Ramón Alfonseda, President of EFPA; Rafael Yuste, member of the FC Barcelona Board in charge of the Sports Area (youth teams) and the Social Area (Fundació FC Barcelona); Fernando Molinos, former RCD Espanyol player; and Paco Camarasa, former Valencia CF player.

Ramón Alfonseda, President of EFPA, has underlined that the Congress aims at “making EFPA well known all over Europe, serving as a debating platform on the present and future of football, and promoting the values of football and fair play among youngsters".
 
Alfonseda has also stressed that the Congress will be attended and supported by big names such as Joan Laporta, Pere Alcober, Alfredo Di Stefano, José Ángel Iríbar, John Toshack, Emilio Butragueño and Carles Rexach, among others.

More than 40 former players associations from different European countries will take part in the 2nd EFPA Congress.

Photo by David Cuella

The Sports Group of European Former Football Players Associations (EFPA) will celebrate its Congress in Barcelona for the second consecutive year on 11th and 12th April, 2009. Under the motto “Still Playing” it will develop a series of activities to discuss and analyze the role of former players and the future of football.

The objectives of the II EFPA Congress, that will taka place at the facilities of F.C. Barcelona, are to make known the Association in all Europe, to become a debate forum on today’s and tomorrow’s football and to promote the values of football and fair play among the young.

The opening session will count with the presence of Joan Laporta, Jaime Lissavetzky, Pere Alcober, Gerardo Movilla and Ramon Alfonseda.

The Congress will house a cycle of conferences with the participation of representatives of various clubs and of organisations devoted to promote social activities among former players, such as Cross Cultures and Homeless Worldcup.

Ramon Alfonseda, president of EFPA, said that the second edition of the EFPA Congreso “will be an excelent frame to exchange opinions about the former players and their reality, the role of associations in Europe and the former player as model for the young”.

The seat of the Agrupació Barça Veterans was this week  the setting of a memorable meeting between FC Barcelona former players and the historical Celtic FC team that won the first European Cup for the UK in 67.

Known as the Lisbon Lions, a group of representatives from Celtic FC were received on Monday by the Board of the ABV in an amicable welcome meeting to the city.
Accompanied by FC Barcelona former player, Steve Archibald, the Scots gave a photograph of that final in Lisbon which they won 2-1 to Milan to President Ramon Alfonseda who, in turn, gave them a reproduction of a 1920's FC Barcelona jersey signed by its former players.

During the gathering, Alfonseda explained EFPA's projects through the showing of a video of the organisation. Alfonseda, who is also the President of EFPA, took the opportunity to invite Celtic FC former players to attend the II EFPA Congress, which will be held in Barcelona on April 11th and 12th.
At present, The Scottish representation within EFPA is made up of Celtic's eternal rival, Glasgow Rangers and Aberdeen FC. One of the main objectives for 2008 is to increase the number of members in Scotland and England.

Representing the ABV were Jose Zaldua, Josep Fusté, Josep Franch, Ferran Olivella and Martí Vergés, who conversed with Celtic legends Tommy Gemmell, Jim Craig, Bobby Lennox or Bertie Auld.

EFPA's I composition contest ended this week with over 1.600 compositions received from clubs from all Catalonia.  A total of 62 clubs from all Catalan provinces participated in the contest.

 The competition, which started on January 15th in cooperation with the Catalan Football Federation, aimed at making children aged 10-12 think about the values of football and fair play. FC Barcelona player Bojan Krcic endorsed the initiative by reading an essay he had written as a child to the media at a press conference.

From now and until the first week of April, the Jury, made up of Catalan journalists, former players and other football personalities, will deliberate and decide who the winners are.

The three winners will be able to travel with a team of the Spanish Liga of their choice in an away match during the 2008-2009 season. The 50 runners-up will be invited to FC Barcelona premises to spend a few hours with Bojan Krcic.