Tellingly, Ceferin finally promised to be “the most reachable and accessible UEFA president you have ever had”.
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The 48-year-old Ceferin won easily in Wednesday’s UEFA presidential election, taking 42 of the 55 votes.
The 48-year-old is not even a member of UEFA’s executive committee and was little known before he announced his intention to run.
The victor will replace disgraced Frenchman Michel Platini, who headed UEFA for eight years until he was banned from the sport for four years last year by FIFA’s ethics committee for unethical conduct.
Van Praag, now head of the Dutch FA, is a former chairman of Dutch club Ajax which used to be a major European power but can no longer compete with the financial might of clubs from bigger leagues.
Platini was allowed by FIFA’s ethics judge to deliver the UEFA congress address as a “gesture of humanity”, despite serving a four-year suspension from any role in soccer over an improper payment.
In 2011, Čeferin was elected President of the Football Association of Slovenia. The Scottish Football Association said it would vote for the Slovenian.
After winning a landslide victory, Ceferin said: “It’s a great honour but at the same time a great responsibility”. It means a lot to me and my family is very proud, and my small and attractive Slovenia is very proud about it.
“You can say I am young and inexperienced but I think that’s a disrespect to all the presidents of small and medium-sized federations who, 365 days of the year, have to do more with less”.
Van Praag said: “Aleksander and I have the same goal”.
“I am certain that I committed not the slightest fault”, said Platini.
The Frenchman consequently resigned his position at UEFA in May after he failed to overturn the ruling with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
For Ceferin, his immediate attention will be taken up by attempting to heal the rift in European football created by an alleged “secret deal” to increase Champions League places for the continent’s richest clubs.
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The successful candidate in the vote in Athens will also secure a seat on FIFA’s ruling Council, with their first job likely to involve addressing the growing divide in the European club game following criticism of proposed changes to the Champions League amid suggestions teams may look to form a breakaway league. I would like to thank the countries that supported me from the beginning to the end and I call on them to stand behind Aleksander.
