Slovenian Aleksander Ceferin was re-elected by acclamation as President of the European Football Association (UEFA) for a third term until 2027, during the General Assembly today in Lisbon.
The 55-year-old Cheferin headed the continental organization in 2016 after the Frenchman Michel Platini was suspended due to corruption scandals, and he was re-elected again in 2019.
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your unanimous support. This means a lot to me. It is a great honor, but above all a great responsibility towards you and towards football,” Ceferin said after his election to the member associations.
When he arrived in 2016 as president of the continental body after Platini fell under the pressures of scandals, then was re-elected in 2019, the Slovenian lawyer did not enjoy charisma and was distinguished by his reservation, but he knew how to impose himself and did not hesitate to oppose his counterpart in the International Federation (FIFA) Swiss- Italy’s Gianni Infantino in particular over the biennial World Cup project, which has recently been abandoned.
Cheferin also proved his ability to emerge from the storm caused by many major European clubs in 2021, by launching the idea of the European Super League, which sparked a massive protest by the fans of these clubs and some continental heads of state and governments.
Despite putting out the fire of this project, three clubs (Real Madrid, Barcelona, Spain, and Juventus, Italy) continue to resist, as they applied before the Court of Justice of the European Union to denounce UEFA’s abuse of excessive force emanating from its authority. A decision is expected in the coming weeks, but in mid-December the EUC’s attorney general, whose conclusions judges frequently follow, issued its first positive opinion in favor of the EU.
And the “A22 Sports Management” company, which promotes the Super League, presented a new version of its project in early February, which includes a more “open” competition, including several degrees, “that includes 60 to 80 teams.”