The Ligue Europeenne de Natation (LEN), which is the governing body for all things aquatics in Europe, has voted to move its headquarters from Luxembourg to Geneva, Switzerland. The organization announced the news on its Facebook page after its Congress last week at Lake Garda, Italy.
LEN has a more significant role in organizing than any other continental federation in the world of aquatics, and so the instability of another move being announced less than five years after their last is conterintuitive.
LEN first moved to Luxembourg from its previous home in Rome in early 2010.
“Several major sport federations – including FINA – set up their respective HQs in Switzerland just as some of LEN’s main partners. For instance Eurovision is also settled in Geneva, which is a more accessible location for most of the federations and officials and some financial aspects also pushed us to take this wise step” LEN President Paolo Barelli said.
LEN also presented a rosy picture of its finances, saying that a new sponsorship deal with the Hungarian Tourist Board among other factors made 2013 profitable. LEN also expects a surplus of over 1 million euros in 2014 ($1.26 million USD).
According to Barelli, the organization will try to parlay these excess finances into new marketing, communication and digital strategies, and event management programs to push Europe into the “number one continent in the world of aquatics.”
They should have gone in Russia!