The kick-off meeting of the BIG4SPORTS project was completed successfully in Barcelona. A delegation of Olympiacos and nine European sports organizations joined forces at the two-day meeting organized by EPSI at the Museum of Sport. 

The meeting started with the presentation of the project by the Catalan Sport Council hosts and the representatives of the project coordinator, EPSI. The hosts welcomed the participants (Olympiacos Hask Mladost, Bayer Leverkusen, Wiener, Aalborg, ICSS Insight, SPONSORA) making a  particular reference to the importance of their participation in such an important European initiative. Moreover, the representatives of the partners mentioned the main reasons that encouraged them to take part in the project and the practices of good governance within their organizations. The Olympiacos delegation did a special mention to the financial support of the club Members and Fans for both the successes of the sport departments and the club growth at the administrative level. 

The rest discussion focused on more practical details such as the key actions and the final schedule, the main objectives and expected results such as the importance of developing and applying a right methodology to achieve the good governance of sport organizations. Participants renewed their appointment for May 2019 and the next meeting that will take place at Olympiacos facilities in Piraeus, with the club staff planning an event that corresponds to the project expectations and the club reputation. 

BIG4SPORTS is a project Co-funded by the European Commission within the framework of ERASMUS+ and coordinated by the European Platform for Sports Innovation (EPSI) and will identify and develop best practice to enhance good governance within sport organizations, particularly clubs and grassroots sports, also in view of increasing public and private entities’ support and funding. 

It’s built on the vision to combine capacity and knowledge across multiple sectors, including public authorities, the sport industry and sport organizations, in the field of good governance in order to assure the highest standards in the management of sport and therefore increase public and private sector’s trust towards sport stakeholders.

BIG4SPORTS will build on existing international frameworks related to good governance in sport, making reference, in particular, to relevant policies developed by the IOC, the Council of Europe, the European Union and the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA).

The involvement in the project of several sport clubs will ensure the implementation of the good governance mechanisms developed by BIG4SPORTS in real situations, in view of a possible adoption on a larger scale.

The General Secretary, Christina Tsiligkiri noted: "We started our European trip in non-sport activities. This year is very important for Olympiacos as it participates in five European social projects. Our club proves its leading role at a non-sport level again. Following our participation in three European social projects in the past few years and our anticipated involvement in four new European social actions for the year 2019, a new and different initiative demonstrates our innovative approach to sport issues. BIG4SPORTS is a good opportunity to develop and implement the best practices of governance within the club but also to be a model for other clubs at European level. In May, we welcome the partners’ representatives in Piraeus with the aim of getting to know the environment and the facilities that the most successful European multisport club operates and develops the current and future Greek and European champions. We are used to leading in the European and International level and prove it continuously. Our next meeting is on 4 February at the EMCA General Assembly in Brussels, where Olympiacos will present proposals for new projects and hope that will be accepted by the EMCA members and the European Union”. 

Alberto Bichi, EPSI Executive Director, stated: “By strengthening this collaboration, the project aims at establishing the best and most relevant standards in terms of corporate and public governance and develop a comprehensive methodology to reinforce sporting organizations’ good governance capacities”.

The kick-off meeting of the BIG4SPORTS project was completed successfully in Barcelona. A delegation of Olympiacos and nine European sports organizations joined forces at the two-day meeting organized by EPSI at the Museum of Sport. 

The meeting started with the presentation of the project by the Catalan Sport Council hosts and the representatives of the project coordinator, EPSI. The hosts welcomed the participants (Olympiacos Hask Mladost, Bayer Leverkusen, Wiener, Aalborg, ICSS Insight, SPONSORA) making a  particular reference to the importance of their participation in such an important European initiative. Moreover, the representatives of the partners mentioned the main reasons that encouraged them to take part in the project and the practices of good governance within their organizations. The Olympiacos delegation did a special mention to the financial support of the club Members and Fans for both the successes of the sport departments and the club growth at the administrative level. 

The rest discussion focused on more practical details such as the key actions and the final schedule, the main objectives and expected results such as the importance of developing and applying a right methodology to achieve the good governance of sport organizations. Participants renewed their appointment for May 2019 and the next meeting that will take place at Olympiacos facilities in Piraeus, with the club staff planning an event that corresponds to the project expectations and the club reputation. 

BIG4SPORTS is a project Co-funded by the European Commission within the framework of ERASMUS+ and coordinated by the European Platform for Sports Innovation (EPSI) and will identify and develop best practice to enhance good governance within sport organizations, particularly clubs and grassroots sports, also in view of increasing public and private entities’ support and funding. 

It’s built on the vision to combine capacity and knowledge across multiple sectors, including public authorities, the sport industry and sport organizations, in the field of good governance in order to assure the highest standards in the management of sport and therefore increase public and private sector’s trust towards sport stakeholders.

BIG4SPORTS will build on existing international frameworks related to good governance in sport, making reference, in particular, to relevant policies developed by the IOC, the Council of Europe, the European Union and the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA).

The involvement in the project of several sport clubs will ensure the implementation of the good governance mechanisms developed by BIG4SPORTS in real situations, in view of a possible adoption on a larger scale.

The General Secretary, Christina Tsiligkiri noted: "We started our European trip in non-sport activities. This year is very important for Olympiacos as it participates in five European social projects. Our club proves its leading role at a non-sport level again. Following our participation in three European social projects in the past few years and our anticipated involvement in four new European social actions for the year 2019, a new and different initiative demonstrates our innovative approach to sport issues. BIG4SPORTS is a good opportunity to develop and implement the best practices of governance within the club but also to be a model for other clubs at European level. In May, we welcome the partners’ representatives in Piraeus with the aim of getting to know the environment and the facilities that the most successful European multisport club operates and develops the current and future Greek and European champions. We are used to leading in the European and International level and prove it continuously. Our next meeting is on 4 February at the EMCA General Assembly in Brussels, where Olympiacos will present proposals for new projects and hope that will be accepted by the EMCA members and the European Union”. 

Alberto Bichi, EPSI Executive Director, stated: “By strengthening this collaboration, the project aims at establishing the best and most relevant standards in terms of corporate and public governance and develop a comprehensive methodology to reinforce sporting organizations’ good governance capacities”.