The 48-year-ol d Ceferin easily won Wednesday’s UEFA presidential election, taking 42 of the 55 votes. It’s a single sport which belongs to each and every one of us so I encourage you today to keep that fight going for the health of football.
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“It means a lot to me, and to my family, who are very proud about it”.
Ceferin said combining running a law firm in Slovenia with leading the country’s soccer federation required him to be “creative, strong and inspiring”. It means a lot to me.and my family is very proud, and my small and lovely Slovenia is very proud about it.
The head of Slovenia’s football association Aleksander Ceferi, was elected the new president at the governing body’s 12th extraordinary congress here, reports Sputnik.
Ceferin succeeds Michel Platini, who resigned after his ban previous year.
The position, one of the most powerful in the game, became vacant in May after Platini failed in his bid to overturn a four-year ban in the courts following his dramatic fall from grace over a disputed payment from former Federation Internationale de Football Association president Sepp Blatter.
“Be assured that I have a clear conscience, that I’m convinced I did not make the slightest mistake, and that I’m continuing the legal battle”, Platini told an audience which included FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The father-of-three, who spoke fluent English throughout, has not provided too many policy details so far but did say he wants to bring in term limits for presidents, clear out all executive committee members who are no longer active in their associations and set up a compliance committee.
“It’s very emotional for me to be here”, said Platini.
He added: “Thank you for your fantastic support.It is a great honour, but it is at the same time a great responsibility”.
He said football faces many problems ranging from match-fixing and doping to racism.
Ceferin is elected for a period of two and a half years.
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Ceferin said his top priority would be to head off a dispute over a new deal announced by the UEFA executive last month guaranteeing England, Spain, Germany and Italy four places each in the Champions League group stages from 2018. I don’t want to live in an empire of fear where every day we wake and see another negativity surfacing.
