UEFA Executive Committee convenes in İstanbul

The UEFA Executive Committee, led by UEFA President Michel Platini, convenes at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski in İstanbul today from 2 to 6 p.m. and again on Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon

The gathering will be followed by a press conference in the Mabeyn room at the hotel.

Club licensing is a main item on the agenda for the meeting. UEFA introduced its club licensing scheme at the start of the 2004-05 season as a means of improving clubs' infrastructures and financial stability. The executive committee will hear a report on the club licensing system, covering four successful years of operation.

A decision will be made on the official charity partner for the UEFA EURO 2008 tournament in Austria and Switzerland next summer. UEFA's social responsibility program has engaged in work with a variety of organizations in recent years which address issues such as racism, child soldiers, land mines, football for individuals with learning disabilities and grassroots soccer programs for children in areas affected by conflict.

The host associations for UEFA congresses in 2009 and 2010 are also up for discussion. The next ordinary UEFA Congress -- Europe's “football parliament” bringing together UEFA's 53 member associations -- will take place in Croatia in January 2008.

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