The German Football League (DFL) has been honoured with three prestigious prizes at the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) Best Practices Awards, held at the start of November in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Fan engagement, social interaction and the promotion of youth have been three of the central tenets of the philosophy employed by the DFL, and it was in these fields that the organisation was recognised for its outstanding work.

The following DFL-initiated projects were rewarded by the EPFL:

Youth Development

Golden Award 2011/12: Football "Made in Germany"

In 2001, after the German national team's disappointing performance at UEFA EURO 2000, a programme to promote talent was launched, introducing compulsory youth academies for all professional clubs as one of the conditions for maintaining licensed status.

To ensure the quality of the coaching provided, the DFL introduced a certification system for club academies. In this way, the clubs receive information from a neutral source regarding where their academy ranks nationwide and where there is potential for improvement.

Fan Management

Golden Award 2011/12: Kids Clubs

This is a project that focuses on youth, and it relates to customer acquisition with a focus on social responsibility. Figures have grown significantly since the project was launched in 2006, and today 26 clubs in the top two divisions today now offer exercise and activity programmes to kids, involving over 70,000 children all over Germany. These 'Kids Clubs' also run social interaction initiatives.

Social Responsibility

Golden Award 2011/12: Integration, a Winning Game

This campaign stands for variety and team spirit. It also fights against discrimination and for the integration of people from immigrant backgrounds.

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