“Aleksander and I have the same goal”, he said.
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“In any case, I will try to do as many things on my programme as possible”.
“Thank you for your fantastic support”. Nobody behind the scenes gets 42 votes.
“Aleksander Ceferin only took over as the boss of the Slovenian FA in 2011 but this election sees him become a key figure in European and world football. I hope one day you will also be proud of me”.
“What I know is that I’m a team player, a man of conviction, a passionate man and a man of his word”.
“It’s a great honour but, at the same time, a great responsibility”, said Ceferin.
Ceferin was not a member of UEFA’s executive committee and only hit the spotlight when he announced his intention to run in June. “I believe that top football is played by too few clubs in too few competitions in limited areas”.
Representatives of the European Football Professional Leagues’ board criticised UEFA’s decision to alter the competition regulations for the Champions League, which included guaranteeing four group-stage places to the top-ranked leagues – now the Bundesliga, LaLiga, the Premier League and Serie A. The foremost of those is another that will favour the traditional superpowers, as it gives credit for past performances.
Van Praag, however, has completely disowned the deal, despite sitting on the UEFA committee that negotiated it with the ECA, the successor group to the old G-14 collection of big clubs that he once led as president of Dutch side Ajax.
Associations from Europe’s football powers had been threatening to create their own breakaway Super League if UEFA didn’t make the changes.
“Thank you. Thank you for these nine years”. “We should show we are the ones who are the governing body. Friends of football, farewell”, said Platini, who was first elected in 2007, at the end of his seven-minute speech.
His replacement, Slovenia’s Aleksander Ceferin, was elected immediately afterwards, beating Dutchman Michael van Praag.
He added there was “a lot of work to do”, citing match-fixing, security and safety, and racism as issues to address.
Platini was allowed by Federation Internationale de Football Association to address the Extraordinary Uefa Congress and he used the occasion to maintain his innocence.
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The 48-year-old Ceferin will complete Platini’s four-year presidential term through 2019, while the former France captain serves a four-term Federation Internationale de Football Association ban over an improper payment. And I continue my legal fight….
