For the past three years, the Erasmus+ EPLAY project has been promoting fair play among the parents and coaches of children aged between eight and 14 years old, using football as a vehicle to spread a positive message of respect.

Sixteen teams from Malta, Romania and Lithuania implemented activities designed by researchers from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE) to transform parents into role models and build more cohesive and welcoming club environments.

Celebrating the successes of the project at UEFA Foundation headquarters in Nyon, researchers presented their findings and were joined by some of the children and parents involved, together with representatives from the participating national associations and partner organisations Athletes Inspire Children, Formodena, UNIMORE and the European Union.

"Football should teach respect, equality and integrity – but unfortunately, that’s not always the case," said EPLAY project leader Loris Vezzali. "We’ve seen instances of disrespectful behaviour from parents, and while it’s a minority, it sends the wrong message to children. Our goal was to create a consistent message: parents must be role models."

Life lessons through football

A roundtable discussion featuring Switzerland women’s national team head coach Pia Sundhage, UEFA director of refereeing Roberto Rosetti and former France international Bruno Cheyrou raised ideas and solutions to foster fair and respectful football environments.

Sundhage highlighted three traits that are key to the development of young players: "Understanding. Acceptance. Respect," she said. "If we can paint that picture for everyone, football becomes much more than training and matches – it becomes about togetherness. Always remember: today’s young player is tomorrow’s human being."

For Cheyrou, allowing children to make mistakes is important. "As you grow in football, the higher you go, the fewer mistakes you can afford – but as a young player, making mistakes is part of the journey,” he said. “You have to accept them and keep moving forward."

The conference concluded with an informal question-and-answer session, during which participating children and parents shared their opinions about the project and the importance of its values.

"The programme has taught me that you just need to stay quiet," explained Andrius, who took part in the project in Lithuania with his son, Tauras. "It’s not about you, it’s about your child having fun, learning new things and evolving as a human being.

"One of the most important lessons is that body language is super important – they see and hear everything, even if you think they don’t."

Everyone has a role to play

Together with a review of psychological scientific literature on fair play in sports, EPLAY project leaders Vezzali and Alice Lucarini surveyed 195 coaches on the frequency of positive and negative behaviour in parents, as well as its impact.

Nearly half of respondents reported that parents’ aggression and insults made players’ performance worse, with 91% of coaches saying they believed they could play a role in altering parental conduct.

From their findings, Lucarini and Vezzali devised a wide-ranging EPLAY programme involving all parties – players, coaches and parents – featuring seminars and group dance sessions which aimed to empower parents to be positive role models, reframe thinking surrounding the outcomes of sport, and create a team environment which is cohesive and motivational.

Of the more than 400 participants tested, over 85% reported that EPLAY had given them vital knowledge of fair play and inclusion within sport.

"This project goes beyond our usual role of organising competitions and events – it allows us to make a real impact," explained Greta Valikoniené, project leader in Lithuania. "I want to thank UEFA for always connecting us, the national associations, and for supporting our partners who did an excellent job. I truly believe we’ve achieved something meaningful together."