Aleksander Ceferin has been named as the successor of Michel Platini at UEFA, the European football governing body said on Wednesday.
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Ceferin overwhelmingly beat Dutchman Michael van Praag, the only other candidate, by 42 votes to 13.
The 48-year-old Čeferin 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.
“If (European competition) is reorganised as Wanda has set out, there is a greater opportunity to generate more revenue from audiovisual broadcasting”, Javier Tebas, president of Spain’s La Liga told the Financial Times last week. It means a lot to me. It means a lot to me and my family is very proud, and my small and lovely Slovenia is very proud about it.
“Just simply know that my conscience is clear, that I am certain that I committed not the slightest fault and that I am continuing to fight legally”, the 62-year-old said.
Ceferin becomes the seventh president of the organisation, haviing been a member of FIFA’s disciplinary committee and UEFA’s legal committee.
The conference was also attended by Platini, who is banned by Fifa’s ethics committee for taking a payment of 2 million Swiss francs in 2011.
Infantino said it was a “pity” critics suggested he influenced the election of one of soccer’s six regional confederations that sit under Federation Internationale de Football Association.
“It’s very emotional for me to be here but I’m also delighted to be here because this will be my last speech to a UEFA Congress”, Platini began.
“I want to bring out all the good things UEFA has been doing and you have been doing”.
But the ethics ban allowed Infantino, his former UEFA administrator, to assume Platini’s self-proclaimed destiny to run world soccer.
He said: “I am here to find ways to tackle all the problems that surround our game as someone with a new and clear vision”.
“This was the right decision to elect him”.
Ceferin was appointed president of the Slovenian Football Association in 2011 and has a background in law. “Friends of football, farewell”, said Platini, who was given a round of applause but not a standing ovation.
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The European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL), which represents the continent’s 24 domestic football leagues, called on Uefa to scrap the proposals, claiming national leagues will suffer.
