Can Greece repeat as champions at Euro 2008 this summer? (Armando Franca/Associated Press)
Feature
UEFA looking for EURO 2008 volunteers
More than 10,600 people vying for volunteer positions
Last Updated Thu., Feb. 14, 2008
by Stefania Moretti, Special to CBCSports.ca
If the hefty $1,860 price tag on tickets to attend EURO 2008 is too stiff for your pockets, there may be a more thrifty way to be part of the action when it kicks off this June.
UEFA, the organization behind the European soccer tournament, is currently recruiting 5,000 volunteers to help host the event in Austria and Switzerland.
But if you have intentions to visit the Alps or catch a glimpse of any of the world's greatest soccer players with a volunteer lanyard around your neck this summer, you better act quickly.
More than 10,600 people vying for a volunteer position have already submitted online applications, which are due by the end of February.
UEFA says applications are pouring in from soccer enthusiasts in 133 countries, including Canada, but mostly from the two host countries. A big portion of applications are also coming from Germany, where buzz from the 2006 World Cup still lingers and Germans seem thirsty for more.
Tommi Seppälä, 28, of Tampere, Finland, was one of thousands chosen to volunteer during EURO 2004 in Portugal. He applied online along with two friends. Before he knew it, he was on a plane to Lisbon.
With subsidy from UEFA and a Portuguese government youth agency, Seppälä had flights, accommodations, some spending money and even his laundry looked after while working pro bono at the tournament's media centre, putting in four to six hour shifts, twice daily.
Seppälä also worked on location during two games: Portugal vs. Russia and England vs. Croatia.
"It was great to be on the pitch to hear the Portuguese national anthem with 65,000 people singing," he said.
Seppälä admits trying to sneak into matches even when he wasn't scheduled to work, but says he was only successful some of the time. Not that he's complaining. After all, there aren't many soccer fanatics that have witnessed an international match in their lifetime, let alone several in the span of just a few weeks.
But of all the perks that came with the job, Seppälä insists the friendships he forged with volunteers from every walk of life are what he cherishes most.
"The day we left Lisbon everybody was so down and crying. It was amazing that it felt so bad even though we knew each other for only eight weeks," said Seppälä.
Seppälä doesn't expect to be back working at EURO this time around. He says the online application system is more difficult than it was for Portugal in 2004.
"Sure, it would be fantastic to get the chance again, but I think it will be a bit harder to get through this time," said Seppälä.
For 2008, successful candidates must be 18 years or older and speak English as well as either French, German or another language of one of the finalist nations. With 16 different teams competing in the tournament, there are more than a dozen languages that fit the bill. Candidates must also make it through a rigorous interview process.
Short-listed applicants will have to present themselves for an in-person interview in one of the eight host cities by March, where more than 120 UEFA representatives will conduct interviews until all of the positions are filled. This is a new step in the application process that wasn't required back in 2004.
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo will be one of many stars competing at Euro 2008. (Jon Super/Getty Images)
The UEFA requires that volunteers be "motivated, reliable, and team-spirited."
But don't expect UEFA to help foot the bill for travel and accommodation expenses in 2008 like they have in the past. They will however provide meals during shifts as well as supply staff with Adidas uniforms, and most importantly, access to some games.
UEFA also hopes to fulfil a quota of about 32 per cent female volunteers, but says every position is open to both male and female candidates.
"We have already seen that a football event need not necessarily feature just men," said Christian Mutschler, the tournament director for Switzerland in charge of volunteer projects.
Tanja Stumberger, 28, a graduate of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., was one of thousands of female volunteers at EURO 2004 in Portugal. What is more interesting, however, is that Stumberger doesn't recall meeting a single North American working at the tournament. She highly recommends that Canadians and Americans get involved in 2008.
"Those who can should absolutely apply. Seriously, EURO 2004 was one of the highlights of my life. I would absolutely do it again," said Stumberger.
Possible jobs in 14 different areas of work include: guest services, IT, marketing, media services, operations, ticketing, and transport. Host cities where interviews and matches will take place include: Vienna, Klagenfurt, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Zurich, Basel, Berne and Geneva.
UEFA says they will notify successful applicants by April 2008 at the latest and training will follow soon afterwards.
