Ceferin was backed the FAI to take up the role but has been unknown for the last three months, however he will now become president of the world’s most powerful footballing body after Michel Platini was forced to resign.
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The 48-year-old Slovenian received 42 votes from UEFA’s member associations, against 13 votes for the other candidate, Michael van Praag (Netherlands).
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.
Also contentious was Uefa’s decision to invite Platini to say a formal farewell at the congress following his four-year ban from football for accepting a £1.3 million suspected criminal payment from Sepp Blatter. It means a lot to me.
‘First and foremost, I will look to change to the UEFA statutes to include term-mandate limitations for the president and UEFA executive committee, ‘ Ceferin said in the lead-up to the election.
“It means a lot to me and my family will be very proud as will my small and lovely Slovenia”.
“Losing is not nice, but I have to thank everyone for the open and clear campaign”, he said. Each of UEFA’s 55 member associations had one vote in the election.
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.
“I am certain that I haven’t made any mistakes and I will continue to fight this in the courts”, said Platini.
Ceferin vowed to lead UEFA into an era of “stability, hope, balance and friendship”, adding that he was “a team player – I am not a showman”.
“We were not informed properly about the Champions League reforms – I still think so”, he said. I think we did a great job …
The Slovenian lawyer who was elected as UEFA’s seventh chief since its establishment in 1954, has served since 2011 as President of Slovenia’s Football Federation. “Friends of football, farewell”, said the Frenchman.
Platini told the congress: “Football is a game before a product, a sport before a market, a show before a market …”
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Platini thanked those who had supported his efforts to make a return. “He wanted to do it his way and I wanted to do it my way and today democracy has spoken”.
