Editing UEFA (section)

== Corruption and controversy ==
Dissatisfied fans across Europe have referred to the organisation as ''UEFA [[mafia]]'', including in Russia's top league,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/live/football/29674073 |title=Inter Milan v Napoli as it happened |work=BBC Sport |date=19 October 2014 |access-date=1 April 2016}}</ref> in Bulgaria's top league,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/oct/07/say-yes-to-racism-banner-levski-sofia-bulgaria |title=Why Uefa and Bulgaria must act over 'yes to racism' banner |work=The Guardian |date=7 October 2014 |access-date=1 April 2016}}</ref> and in a Champions League group stage match held in Sweden.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/malmo-fans-sing-uefa-mafia-chant-during-champions-league-defeat-to-juventus_sto4718304/story.shtml |title=Malmo fans sing 'UEFA Mafia' chant during Champions League defeat to Juventus |work=Eurosport |date=27 November 2014 |access-date=1 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411031821/http://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/malmo-fans-sing-uefa-mafia-chant-during-champions-league-defeat-to-juventus_sto4718304/story.shtml |archive-date=11 April 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> The term has also been covered for its use outside of stadiums, for example during a protest in Kosovo outside an EU building following the [[Serbia v Albania (UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying)]] match.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/Any/ebc589de162abb5555941926962d322d |title=Kosovo Albanians protest UEFA ruling; Serbia FM and Serbian FA reaction |agency=Associated Press |date=24 October 2014 |access-date=1 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414025353/http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/Any/ebc589de162abb5555941926962d322d |archive-date=14 April 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[F.C. Copenhagen]] supporters displayed banners around the city, with slogans such as "UEFA MAFIA – THE PANDEMIC OF FOOTBALL", when UEFA ordered their [[2019–20 UEFA Europa League|2019–20 Europa League]] round of 16 return leg be played behind closed doors, despite reduced capacity being allowed by the Danish government.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 August 2020 |title=Spydige bannere pryder København: UEFA Mafia! |website=ronaldo.com |first1=Nicolaj M. |last1=Jørgensen |url=https://ronaldo.com/dk/fodboldnyheder/spydige-bannere-pryder-koebenhavn-uefa-mafia/|access-date=13 December 2021 |language=da-DK |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213122103/https://ronaldo.com/dk/fodboldnyheder/spydige-bannere-pryder-koebenhavn-uefa-mafia/  |archive-date= 13 December 2021}}</ref>

Following the [[2015 FIFA corruption case]], the then-president of UEFA, [[Michel Platini]], was also involved in the case. Swiss prosecutors accused FIFA president Sepp Blatter of making a "disloyal payment" of $2m (£1.6m) to Mr Platini. Swiss attorney general, {{Ill|Michael Lauber|de}}, stated: "We didn't interview Mr Platini as a witness, that's not true. We investigated against him in between as a witness and an accused person".<ref>{{cite web |title=Fifa scandal: Michel Platini drawn closer to Blatter case |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34396551 |publisher=BBC |access-date=30 September 2015 |date=30 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Platini says the SFr2m was contracted, Lauber says he is under investigation |url=http://www.insideworldfootball.com/fifa/17980-platini-says-the-sfr2m-was-contracted-lauber-says-he-is-under-investigation |publisher=Inside World Football |first1=Paul |last1=Nicholson |access-date=30 September 2015 |date=30 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001070205/http://www.insideworldfootball.com/fifa/17980-platini-says-the-sfr2m-was-contracted-lauber-says-he-is-under-investigation |archive-date=1 October 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Both Platini and [[Sepp Blatter]] were banned from football-related activity. Platini appealed to [[Court of Arbitration for Sport]]s, which lowered the six-year ban to four years. He further appealed to Swiss courts and the [[European Court of Human Rights]] but the courts rejected his appeals.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ronay |first=Barney |date=5 March 2020 |title=Michel Platini's appeal over ban rejected by European court of human rights |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/mar/05/michel-platini-appeal-over-ban-rejected-by-european-court-of-human-rights-football|access-date=13 September 2020 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

In 2019 UEFA's decision to host Europa League Cup final in Baku, Azerbaijan left one of the finalists, Arsenal, with a decision to withdraw their Armenian player [[Henrikh Mkhitaryan]] out of the competition due to safety concerns,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.arsenal.com/news/henrikh-mkhitaryan-miss-europa-league-final |title=Henrikh Mkhitaryan to miss Europa League final |website=www.arsenal.com |access-date=21 May 2019}}</ref> and there has been long-standing debates about the extent to which the elite clubs or UEFA itself should exert the most influence on the game.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Holt |first=Matthew |date=11 December 2006 |title=The Ownership and Control of Elite Club Competition in European Football |journal=Soccer and Society |publisher=Taylor and Francis Online |volume=8 |pages=50–67 |doi=10.1080/14660970600989491 |s2cid=143783793 |issn=1466-0970 |eissn=1743-9590}}</ref> UEFA's decision to partner with blockchain company [[Chiliz]] in February 2022 was criticised and described as 'incomprehensible' by fan groups across Europe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fan group 'appalled' by Uefa deal with cryptocurrency company |first=Paul |last=MacInnes |url=https://theguardian.com/football/2022/feb/15/uefa-deal-with-cryptocurrency-company-socios-fan-group-appalled |date=15 February 2022 |access-date=19 February 2023 |website=The Guardian}}</ref>