Share

Sole candidate Ceferin poised for UEFA re-election

Lausanne - Incumbent Aleksander Ceferin is virtually assured re-election as UEFA president after European football's ruling body confirmed Thursday he is the sole candidate for next February's elections.

Slovenian Ceferin, a lawyer, has held the post since 2016 when he replaced former France legend Michel Platini, who was forced to resign several months previously following confirmation of his suspension by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

UEFA had set a date limit of November 7 for potential candidates to formally express interest ahead of the February 7, 2019 election, to be held in Rome.

Ceferin, 51, was previously president of the Slovenian football federation from 2011 to 2016. 

Known for his discretion and less charismatic approach compared to Platini, Ceferin vehemently opposed a raft of recent proposals by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Infantino, a candidate for his own re-election in June 2019, courted controversy in recent weeks with a number of proposals that sparked opposition from UEFA.

Infantino agreed at a recent FIFA Council meeting in Rwanda to delay any decision over his plans for a Club World Cup and a global Nations League, instead setting up a taskforce to study the proposals.

That was reportedly after UEFA delegates threatened to walk out in protest.

Infantino has been pushing to revamp the Club World Cup by expanding it from the current seven clubs to 24 and holding it every four years. Twelve of the teams would be European.

He has said he has an offer of $25 billion over 12 years for that and the Nations League from private investors, identified by Football Leaks as Japan's Softbank.

Among Ceferin's future challenges is facing down criticism of the perceived imbalance between the smaller and bigger leagues in European competition.

The European Leagues association is demanding that Europe's 'big four' leagues of Spain, England, Germany and Italy are given three, instead of four, automatic qualifying places for the Champions League and for resources to be shared more equally.

Ceferin is also expected to review the Financial Fair Play (FFP) system set up by Platini in 2010.

According to reports by Football Leaks, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City are among clubs who saw potentially heavy sanctions for infringing FFP rules toned down following discussions with UEFA at a time when Infantino was the body's secretary general.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1271 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1469 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2239 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE