Kick-off!

Background The aim of Kick-off! was to help national supporter organisations and football associations in four European countries and on the continent of Africa grow and maintain long-term, positive, and structural relationships with each other and develop shared visions for a better football. Objectives The project sought to equip partners with the tools needed to overcome the mistrust towards each other and create a reference database that will help them, and other fan groups, clubs, and governing bodies in Europe and beyond deal with and avoid conflict situations in the future. Internationally, Kick-off! aimed to develop transferrable guidelines that fan organisations, clubs, and governing bodies across the EU and beyond can use to build trusted relationships and achieve shared visions. Implementation To achieve the project’s objectives, the partners began by reviewing their existing relationships and the factors that have traditionally affected them before seeking to draft action plans for structural change, test and amend them as necessary, and finally agree to formalise them in the form of cooperation agreements (memorandum of understanding, letter of intent, etc.). Achievements The project results were as follows: first ever structured cooperation agreements (MoUs) between fan organisations and football associations in the Netherlands, Spain and Namibia, plus a Letter of Intent in Norway. Formalised dialogue structures in Germany, including a binding licensing requirement for clubs in top 3 divisions. Detailed research findings in four partner countries. Conflict management guidance for fans and FAs. European action plan for implementation in conjunction with UEFA.