March 15 – Lars-Christer Olsson, who spent four years as general secretary of UEFA, has taken over as chairman of the European Professional Football Leagues.
The 66-year-old Swede is currently President of the Swedish Professional Football League, a founding Member of the EPFL, and succeeds Frenchman Frédéric Thiriez who was recently named Head of the Management Group of the World Leagues Forum (WLF).
“I believe it is in the interest of both the EPFL and WLF to have different leaders, therefore, I have decided to step down as EPFL Chairman to be able to focus on the recently created WLF in order to defend the position of the leagues at world level,” said Thiriez.
The EPFL has 32 members and associate members across Europe but has played a somewhat peripheral role in terms of influencing decision-making, something Olsson will be keen to change not least when it comes to the calendar.
Former general secretary of his national association in Sweden, he succeeded Gerd Aigner in the same role at UEFA in 2003 and held the job until 2007. A few years earlier he was tournament director of Euro 92.
“With Lars-Christer Olsson, who is a man of unification, the European leagues will continue to speak with one voice,” said Thiriez. “He will bring this loud and clear, effectively and transparently, with bodies such as UEFA and FIFA.”
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