The president of Uefa, Aleksander Ceferin, has declared that he will not seek reelection, thus eliminating the possibility of extending his leadership until 2031, when his current term ends in four years.
At the press conference following the annual congress in Paris, Ceferin made a surprising and sometimes strange announcement to the media. He criticized his opponents and revealed that he had already made the decision to resign in 2027, six months prior. This revelation came shortly after Uefa’s member associations voted on a controversial amendment to their statutes, which would have permitted Ceferin to run for a fourth term. This change would have essentially disregarded his first two years as president, as he took over for Michel Platini in the middle of a four-year term in 2016.
The changes had caused a lot of discomfort, but Ceferin surprised most of the attendees by announcing his planned resignation. His disclosure caught several high-ranking members of Uefa off guard, and even some of his colleagues on the executive committee were not aware of the decision until Wednesday.
Ceferin expressed, “I have encountered numerous outstanding individuals in the world of football and I anticipate meeting more.” He assured that the majority of individuals involved in football are not like certain foolish individuals. Therefore, approximately six months ago, I made the decision to no longer pursue a run in 2027.
The main factor is that organizations require new members after a certain period of time, but in my case, it is primarily due to my absence from my family for the past seven years and the additional three years until 2027. My family was aware of this decision before anyone else.
The phrase “planning to run” allows for the possibility of a change in decision, but no additional information was provided afterwards. Ceferin implied that he held back the announcement to gauge the reaction of Uefa’s stakeholders to the proposed changes, which raised concerns that he wanted to extend his term beyond the usual 12 years. He also seemed to make fun of the media’s reaction.
I asked to witness the true nature of certain individuals and was able to do so. I observed both positive and negative aspects. Naturally, I did not wish to sway the congress.
I hoped they would make a decision without being influenced by what I am sharing with you today, as that would be a sincere choice. I must admit, it was quite entertaining to witness all the excitement, while also receiving supportive messages from my federations.
The Slovenian’s strongest anger was directed towards Zvonimir Boban, his former football leader, who stepped down three weeks ago in objection to the proposed statutes. Ceferin did not mention Boban by name, but made it clear that he was questioning his integrity after Boban had vehemently opposed the changes he deemed “fatal.”
“Regarding his pitiful expression of concern for morality, he was one of the few individuals who knew that I had no intention of running in 2027,” he stated. “As soon as he learned that I would announce it after the conference, he hastily wrote his self-absorbed letter. He couldn’t wait because once I made my decision public, his complaints would hold no weight.” Sources close to Boban deny the claim that he was aware of Ceferin’s choice not to run ahead of time.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, in a recent interview with The Guardian, admitted feeling like he was being portrayed as a dictator and did not confirm future plans for his position, stating he was unsure about running again. He cited several reasons for his declining enthusiasm, including exhaustion from dealing with Covid, conflicts in the sports world, and the controversial Super League. He also expressed frustration with individuals who claim to have strong moral standings, only to go against them when it benefits them personally.
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During the events of the day, the Football Association was the only one out of 55 members of Uefa to oppose the changes to the statute. This was confirmed through a vote by chief executive Mark Bullingham and was seen as a stance on good governance rather than a form of disagreement towards Ceferin. A group of 10 potential rebels had disbanded in the week prior to the congress.
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Ceferin proposed that those expressing concerns about altering term limits should feel ashamed when confronted with such a public display of solidarity. However, certain federations have chosen to remain silent, recognizing that this is not a worthwhile conflict to engage in as the aftermath of the Super League decision in December continues to impact Europe.
During the congress, Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, spoke to delegates and suggested that they collaborate to create a new resolution against racism before May, when the organisation’s congress will take place in Bangkok. Infantino proposed that teams responsible for match abandonments due to racism should face forfeits, and that offenders should face criminal charges.
Source: theguardian.com
