Didier Drogba, former Ivory Coast and Chelsea forward, has been invited to join a new advisory board of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) comprised of elite coaches and former players. The advisory board’s mission is to address concerns concerning game legislation, referees, and the football schedule.
Zvonimir Boban, the former Croatia captain and current UEFA chief of football, will preside over the meeting.
Drogba will be joined by Roma boss Jose Mourinho, England manager Gareth Southgate as well as Rio Ferdinand, Zinedine Zidane, Carlo Ancelotti, Paolo Maldini, Fabio Capello, Javier Zanetti, Luis Figo, Philipp Lahm, Ronald Koeman, Michael Laudrup, Rafa Benitez, Roberto Martinez, Predrag Mijatovic, Jurgen Klinsmann, Rudi Voller, Petr Cech, Juan Mata and Robbie Keane.
The board will hold its inaugural meeting on Monday, April 24, and will be entrusted with investigating concerns including Video Assistant Referee (VAR), UEFA competitions, player wellness, tactics, and youth development.
Roberto Rosetti, UEFA’s referees chief, will also contribute.
The advisory group will look at the handball law after UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin recently said that he didn’t grasp the laws around it. “No one we’ve talked to understands the handball rule,” he said. This is disastrous for football.”
UEFA’s executive committee approved the advisory board last week in Lisbon, and sessions will be held once a year at the organisation’s headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
A body comparable to the advisory board will be formed in the near future to address issues concerning the women’s game.