Slovenian Aleksander Ceferin was elected on Wednesday in Athens as the seventh President of UEFA, defeating his opponent Michael van Praag from The Netherlands by a significant margin, with 42 votes against 13.
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Last week, acting UEFA President Angel Maria Villar withdrew from the contest to succeed Platini on a permanent basis, leaving Ceferin and Dutch Football Association president Van Praag in the race for the role.
Ceferin, a lawyer, intends to discuss mandate restrictions and the introduction of a compliance department during his time in office and rejected accusations he lacked experience. It’s a great honour but at the same time great responsibility. It means so much to me. “My family’s very proud about it, my small and attractive Slovenia is also proud about it and I hope one day you will also be proud of me”.
“Democracy has spoken. I respect that”, he said.
“What I know is that I’m a team player, a man of conviction, a passionate man and a man of his word”.
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.
“About the Champions League, we were not informed properly, I still think so”, Cerefin said shortly after his election victory.
“When that thing (scandal) happened to Michel Platini, the Scandinavians called me and told me “we believe you would be the flawless candidate for president”, Ceferin told Ljubljana’s daily Delo.
Ceferin said his top priority was to address Champions League reforms agreed by UEFA’s executive committee last month.
The Frenchman resigned in May after being banned from football for four years for ethics violations.
Fifa’s ethics committee handed down an initial eight-year ban to both Blatter and Platini, who have always denied wrongdoing.
“I have a clear conscience, I am certain not to have made any mistake and will continue to fight this in the courts”.
“You are going to continue this wonderful mission without me, for reasons that I won’t go into”, said Platini.
Platini thanked those who had supported his efforts to make a return. “A page is turning and this is a new chapter for UEFA”, he said.
Although only ranked 59th in the world, there is a sense in European football that Slovenia are on the up again, thanks partly to Ceferin’s leadership.
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Emerging from his FIFA-enforced exile, Platini used the platform in Athens to highlight his achievements since assuming the UEFA presidency in 2007 and issue advice to the next head of European soccer.
