“The strategic plan, developed with significant contributions from all stakeholders with a view to strengthening the foundations of football in Turkey, will improve the competitive strength of Turkish football and also pave the way to giving it a voice in the international arena,” TFF Chairman Mahmut Özgener said in his opening remarks.While stressing that the strategic plan will be the official roadmap for Turkish football, Özgener said they are endeavoring to make the federation an institution trusted both by its stakeholders and the public.
In addition to the TFF chairman, new men’s Turkish national football team Coach Guus Hiddink, national team player Nihat Kahveci, women’s national team Captain Bilgin Defterli and members of the foreign press were present at the meeting.
The strategic plan has a total of 24 goals under 12 main categories, or “11+1 Players” as described by the federation. The number 11 stands for the number of players on a football side, while the plus one refers to the referee officiating the match. The categories are National Teams, Elite Players, Women’s Soccer, Grassroots and Amateur Soccer, Referees, Coaches, Organizational Development, Soccer Economy, New Communication Technologies, Modern Facilities and Stadiums, Club Structures and Organization and Sporting Events.
Speaking for the National Teams category, Hiddink said the team will be committed to its targets of success and will also make a positive contribution to Turkey’s UEFA European Football Championship 2016 bid. Turkey is vying to host the championship in a fierce competition against other bidders Italy and France.
At the end of the meeting, TFF Deputy Secretary-General Orhan Gorbon, who is also the bid manager of Turkey’s Euro 2016 candidacy, made a presentation about Turkey’s Euro 2016 bid.
