Ceferin returns unopposed as UEFA President

Aleksander Ceferin was re-elected unopposed for a third term as UEFA President at a meeting of European football’s governing body in Lisbon on Wednesday.

The 55-year-old Slovenian lawyer will remain in the role until 2027.

He was first elected in 2016 following the downfall of Frenchman Michel Platini.

Speaking with delegates at the UEFA Congress, Ceferin said, “I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your unanimous support. It really means a lot to me.

“It is a great honour but mainly it is a great, great responsibility, towards you and towards football.”

Just a few weeks prior to the UEFA Congress, Gianni Infantino was unanimously re-elected as president of FIFA, the world governing body for the sport.

Although he seeks to calm tensions with Infantino, Ceferin opposed his proposals to hold the World Cup every two years.

From the start of the following year, he will now be in charge of implementing a new Champions League format. He also plans to continue pushing for the implementation of new Financial Fair Play regulations.

Additionally, Ceferin has brought up the idea of relaxing the rules that currently forbid clubs with the same owners from competing against one another in European competitions.

AFP