The relationship between UEFA and its associations has been a cornerstone of UEFA's work since its foundation in 1954. Consequently, UEFA has a National Associations division within its administration based in Nyon, Switzerland, and runs the Top Executive Programme.

The vision behind UEFA's Top Executive Programme (TEP) is to support associations' top executives in their decision-making role. This is done by providing them with relevant facts & figures (via databases) and to ‘coach' them in using that information to develop their game, their organisation and their business further. The critical success factors of the programme are: demand-driven ("we go where the associations take us"), result-oriented (and not tool-oriented) and focus on development (instead of on education).

The results of the TEP have already made a real difference. The programme has helped associations to an accumulated €15-20 million in increased TV rights revenues so far, by providing information on the real values of those rights. Furthermore, TEP played an important role in realising the wish expressed by many associations to enlarge the UEFA European Championship final round from 16 to 24 participants, in accordance with the increasing number of UEFA members. Another direct TEP result was the launch of the UEFA-adidas kit assistance scheme, in particular aimed at suppor¬ting the smaller associations and saving hundreds of thousands of Euros.

TEP also organises small, informal discussion platforms to hear the needs and wishes of associations, as well as to give and receive feedback on the results. The discussions in these round tables, involving the presidents and general secretaries of all UEFA's member associations, have concentrated so far in particular on individual and collective possibilities to increase revenues and/or save costs, as well as on football and social responsibi¬lity. The relation and division of competences between a national association and a league were also discussed.

Finally, TEP follow-up visits are conducted to some national associations, either upon their request or following changes in the association's leadership.

UEFA's Top Executive Programme is run by Marc Esselink under director Theodore Theodoridis.