Training the steward trainers for the UEFA finals

From 13 to 18 February, the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium has hosted a workshop for those  who will train the stewards for the men's and women's UEFA Champions League finals in Kyiv in  May.

The training programme involved a variety of tests covering both theory and practice, with coaching from UEFA specialists. Upon completion, the trainers received their certificates from the general secretary of the Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU), Yuriy Zapisotskyi.

UEFA developed this training programme specifically for Ukraine, taking into account the legislative framework and the socio-political situation in the country.

The workshop was attended by UEFA experts©FFU

"The Football Federation of Ukraine has a great history in steward training, and it is very encouraging we were asked to come back to develop this training programme," said UEFA instructor Gerald Toms. "This is a great challenge for Ukraine, with the Champions League finals this year, and good stewards are essential. We have given the FFU the tools to do the job and we have every confidence it will deliver, as it did during EURO 2012."

Every day of the workshop comprised several training modules, to acquaint participants with the general principles of a steward's activities, including communication with spectators, fire safety, and emergency situations and evacuation.

In the practical classes, the future trainers had the opportunity not only to observe and evaluate stewards in action, but also to visit the pre-match briefing before the Ukrainian Premier-Liha game between Dynamo Kyiv and Olimpik Donetsk.

This article originally appeared in UEFA Direct 176