The development of the Supporter Liaison Officer (SLO) role is overseen by FSE, having previously been the responsibility of SD Europe.
Our work includes:
- Working with National Associations and Leagues to improve the implementation of the role at European and domestic level
- Encouraging meaningful dialogue between grassroots supporter groups across Europe and stakeholders, including European institutions, governing bodies, leagues, clubs, and other relevant participants
- Holding observer status on the Council of Europe (CoE) Standing Committee on Safety, Security and Service at Football Matches and other Sports Events (T-RV)
- The delivery of SLO Education Programme in partnership with UEFA Academy. Led by FSE’s SLO expert Lena Gustafson-Wiberg, the programme provides the tools, knowledge and skills needed to tackle the complex challenges of the SLO role.
- Participating as experts in the activities of the CoE Standing Committee, such as consultative visits to help various countries prepare to implement the Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events (CETS No. 218) as well as the current Joint Programme of the Council of Europe/European Union, Promoting Safety, Security and Service at Sports Events (ProS4)
- Developing and delivering tailored training, support and advice around the SLO role to various stakeholders including national associations, police, and SLOs
- Coordinating the European Commission-funded Preparatory Action, TRANSFER
European SLO Network
As part of its objectives under Article 45 of the Uefa Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations, we coordinate a network of European SLOs.
The first meeting of the network took place in Stockholm in June 2016, with subsequent meetings held in Gelsenkirchen, Rotterdam, and Watford (London). A working group of SLOs is now in place to lead further development of this network – providing SLOs with an excellent opportunity to learn from the experiences of others and examine best practice in other European countries.
SLOs can get in touch here to take part in future SLO network meetings and events.
History Of The SLO Role
Under Article 45 of the Uefa Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations, clubs across Europe are required to appoint a supporter liaison officer (SLO) to ensure proper and constructive discourse between them and their fans. In particular:
- The license applicant must have appointed a supporter liaison officer to act as the key contact point for supporters.
- The supporter liaison officer will regularly meet and collaborate with the relevant club personnel on all related matters.
The inclusion of Article 45 was the result of detailed talks between Uefa and SD Europe, and now now FSE. The SLO concept gained full approval in 2009/10 from the national associations represented on the Uefa Club Licensing Committee.
The inaugural Uefa SLO conference was held in Berlin in October 2011 with the first ever meeting of European SLOs taking place in June 2016 with SLOs as mentioned, with SLOs from 11 countries present.
The second ever Uefa SLO conference took place in Vienna in November 2017.
The two-year LIAISE Erasmus+ project ran from January 2018 to December 2019. Later in the year, the third SLO network meeting took place in Rotterdam.
Two further EU-funded projects, TRANSFER and TPDS are underway and focus on enhancing the implementation of the SLO function across Europe and raising the vocational standards associated with the role
Additional Guidance & Support
FSE works on the development of the supporter liaison officer (SLO) role across Europe and further afield. For additional information, contact us.