Aleksander Ceferin has been re-elected as the president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) until 2027 for a third term running.
Ceferin stood unopposed at the election that took place during a UEFA meeting held in Lisbon, Portugal today.
The 55-year-old Slovenian took over from embattled former president Michel Platini in 2016 and has been at the centre of several innovations at the European football governing body since then, like the UEFA Nations League and the Europa Conference League.
“I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your unanimous support. It really means a lot to me. It is a great honour but mainly it is a great, great responsibility, towards you and towards football.” Ceferin said during his acceptance speech in front of delegates at the event.
In the new term, Ceferin will oversee the introduction of a new Champions League format starting in the 2024/25 season. In this format, the number of clubs involved in Europe’s premium football league will increase from 32 to 36 and will all play in one pool where they all play eight matches against eight different opponents.
Ceferin will also keep opposing the proposed Super League by European big clubs spearheaded by Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus. Although other clubs, especially the “Big Six” in England dropped the idea amidst fan protests, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are still pursuing the project with a lawsuit against UEFA and FIFA currently ongoing at the European Court of Justice.
On the Super League, Ceferin said: “Those who promote this project are now claiming that they want to save football. Is anybody fooled? Here we have two opposing world views, cynicism over morality, selfishness over solidarity, greed over benevolence, shameful lies over the truth, cartel over meritocracy and democracy, and the quest for profit over the quest for trophies. Domestic leagues must remain the foundation of football.”
Ceferin also plans more financial fair play rules specifically targeting player and staff salaries.
