Article 79 Matchday media activities - Europa League

Regulations of the UEFA Europa League

Content Type
Competition Regulations
Category
Clubs
Subject
UEL
Edition
2024/25
Language
English
Enforcement Date
2 September 2024
79.01

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 and a player on the match sheet available for a short interview before the match, related exclusively to the match in question, with 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. Clubs must also make every effort to provide, upon request, a representative to conduct additional pre-match interviews.

  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 five of the above interviews, including at least one with an audiovisual rights holder operating in a multilateral flash interview position. The UEFA player of the match, 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. Players exclusively provided for post-match super-flash interviews are not considered as fulfilling the minimum requirements for flash interviews. Clubs must ensure that the head coach and players are available for such interviews within 15 minutes of the end of the match.

  6. After second-leg matches during the knockout phase, the minimum requirements for the club eliminated from the competition are reduced to the following:

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

    • Other unilateral broadcasters must be offered 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 should be provided on a 'best effort' basis.

    • If certain 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 described above include interviews with both the head coach and players.

      The winning and/or qualified club must make every effort to compensate for the reduced number of interviews provided by the eliminated club.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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 audiovisual right holders.

79.02

The post-match press conferences at the stadium 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.

79.03

After the match, a mixed zone where reporters can conduct interviews must be set up for the media and audiovisual rights holders on the way from the dressing rooms to the team transport area. The mixed zone must be accessible only to coaches, players, representatives of the media and audiovisual rights holders. The first section of this area must be reserved for audiovisual rights holders, UEFA and official club platforms. Two further sections must be provided for non-rights holders and the press. The home club must ensure that the whole mixed zone is safe for the teams to walk through. Several players from each team who have participated in the match, either in the starting line-up or as substitutes, are obliged to pass through the entire mixed zone, and clubs must make every effort to ensure that each active member of the team undertakes this responsibility at least once during the season. A minimum of one player per team is obliged to conduct interviews in each section at each match. Clubs are responsible for ensuring that the relevant players pass through the mixed zone and conduct the relevant interviews.

79.04

If the head coach is suspended for the match or is sent off during the match, the club has the option of making the assistant coach available for all obligatory matchday media activities instead.