Article 73 Matchday media activities - Europa Conference League

Regulations of the UEFA Europa Conference League

Content Type
Competition Regulations
Category
Clubs
Subject
UECL
Edition
2023/24
Language
English
Enforcement Date
28 June 2023
73.01

Pre-match, half-time and post-match interviews with each club may take place at the stadium as follows. Timings and locations are agreed in advance by UEFA and each club.

  1. The clubs must make the head coach or a player on the match sheet available for a short interview before the match, related exclusively to the match in question. In exceptional circumstances, this interview may be conducted by UEFA, in which case a senior club representative must be made available for an interview by the main audiovisual rights holder of the country of the club.

  2. Additional pre-match interviews may be conducted with the head coach and players, subject to their agreement.

  3. A half-time interview may be conducted with the head coach, the assistant coach or players, subject to their agreement.

  4. Post-match super-flash interviews are conducted after the match in a designated area located next to or on the pitch or between the pitch and the dressing rooms. The head coach or a key player, i.e. a player who had a decisive influence on the result, must be available for a minimum of one super-flash interview with the main audiovisual rights holder of the country of the club. If that audiovisual rights holder does not request a super-flash interview, then this opportunity passes to another audiovisual rights holder as determined by UEFA.

  5. Flash interviews and indoor studio interviews are obligatory and take place after the match. Each club must provide three interviews with the main audiovisual rights holder of the country of the club, two interviews with each of the other unilateral audiovisual rights holders, and one interview with each of the audiovisual rights holders operating in any multilateral flash interview position(s). The head coach, if requested, must be available for at least four of the above interviews, including at least one with an audiovisual rights holder operating in a multilateral flash interview position. The players made available for the above interviews must include the UEFA player of the match, except in exceptional circumstances. Players exclusively provided for post-match super-flash interviews are not considered as fulfilling the minimum requirements for flash interviews and indoor studio interviews. Clubs must ensure that the head coach and players are available for such interviews within 15 minutes of the end of the match, except in exceptional circumstances.

  6. For a club that loses a match, unless it nonetheless progresses to the next round, and for clubs that are eliminated from the competition, the minimum requirements will be reduced to the following:

    • The main audiovisual rights holder from the club’s own country must get at least two interviews.

    • Other unilateral broadcasters must get at least one interview.

    • At least one interview must be conducted in each multilateral position.

    • However, if there are fewer than seven broadcasters in the flash interview position, all broadcasters must receive at least one interview.

    • Additional interviews are provided on a 'best-effort' basis.

    • In cases where some individual unilateral broadcasters do not request interviews, the club must fulfil the minimum requirements by cooperating with additional requests from other broadcasters as directed by UEFA.

    • The obligations include interviews with both the head coach and players.

    • The winning and/or qualified club must make best efforts to compensate for the interviews not delivered by the losing and/or eliminated club.

  7. If the head coach is suspended for the match, or is sent off during the match, the club has the option of replacing him with the assistant coach for all obligatory matchday media activities.

  8. Players selected for doping controls may conduct post-match interviews upon approval of the UEFA doping control officer and provided that the player is escorted by a chaperone appointed by the UEFA doping control officer.

  9. Any of the above interview opportunities granted to official club platforms must first be granted to audiovisual rights holders determined by UEFA, and according to the following conditions regarding post-match interviews:

    • Should the official club platforms have a flash interview position, all broadcasters should be guaranteed at least one interview before the official club platforms are able to conduct interviews.

    • Any player offered to the official club platforms must have been first offered to the broadcasters and must have conducted (if requested) at least three interviews.

  10. If any of the above obligatory interviews is not conducted by the relevant audiovisual rights holder(s), UEFA may conduct such interviews under the same conditions and to be shared with other audio-visual right holders.

73.02

The post-match press conferences at the venue must start no later than 20 minutes after the final whistle. The home club is responsible for providing the necessary technical infrastructure and services, including a qualified interpreter with a strong knowledge of football. Both clubs must make their head coach available for their press conference.

73.03

After the match, a mixed zone must be set up for the media on the way from the dressing rooms to the team transport area. This area – accessible only to coaches, players and representatives of the media, to offer reporters opportunities to conduct interviews – must include a sectioned-off area reserved for audiovisual rights holders, UEFA and official club platforms nearest the dressing rooms. In addition, the UEFA venue team may instruct the club to provide individual sections for audiovisual non-rights holders, audio media and written press. The home club must ensure that the whole mixed zone is safe for the teams to walk through. All players from both teams who have participated in the match, either in the starting line-up or as substitutes, are obliged to pass through the entire mixed zone in order to conduct interviews with the media. Clubs are responsible for ensuring that the relevant players pass through the mixed zone.