UEFA passes "fatal" rule change in strange loyalty test by its president
UEFA members voted to allow current president Aleksander Čeferin to run for an unprecedented fourth term in office in 2027.... only for him to announce he won't be running.
Under the previous statute, brought in by Čeferin in 2017 as a means of anti-corruption following the FIFAGate scandal, the president and committee members were permitted a maximum of 12 years in office.
Čeferin, 56, has been UEFA president since 2016 when he was elected to replace Michel Platini, who stepped down after being banned by FIFA for receiving an unauthorised payment from then-president Sepp Blatter. The Slovenian lawyer was re-elected in 2019 and again earlier in 2023, . Under UEFA's enacted three-term limit, Čeferin would have been forced to step down from the presidency in 2027.
But during UEFA’s annual congress in Paris on Thursday, the proposal to amend the current statute received an overwhelming majority vote from the organisation's 55 member countries, thus enabling Čeferin's new candidacy in the next election - before he declared that he won't be standing and it was all some bizarre loyalty test.
"I have decided I am not planning to run in 2027 anymore," he announced, insisting he took the decision six months ago.
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"The reason is that after some time every organisation needs fresh blood, but mainly because I was away from my family for seven years now. I intentionally didn’t want to disclose my thoughts before, because firstly, I wanted to see the real face of some people, and I saw it.
“I have a beautiful life in football, I have a beautiful life outside of football as well.”
The FA were the only member to state to vote against the proposed amendments, in a rare and isolated show of dissent against Čeferin's plans. However, the FA were joined by Iceland and Norway in voting against the bundling of the reforms, while Ukraine abstained from voting due to ongoing tensions over Uefa's desire to reintegrate Russian youth teams into international competition.
Čeferin's decision to push through and allow a fourth term had been seen as a power-grab, mirroring that of FIFA president Gianni Infantino. The 53-year-old Swiss-Italian took over from Blatter in 2016 and has since entrenched himself in the role as president. FIFA also has a three-term limit, but the FIFA Council ruled last year that Infantino’s first 39 months in office did not count because he had stepped in to replace Blatter, clearing the way for him to stay in charge until 2031.
David Gill is opposed to Aleksander Ceferin's plans (Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images)Čeferin's push had caused friction behind the scenes at UEFA and the months leading up to the vote have been fraught with controversy after the proposal was tabled at a meeting in Hamburg last year.
One of the most influential members of Čeferin's inner circle, UEFA Director of Football Zvonimir Boban, resigned in December in protest of what he deemed a “fatal” rule change, adding in an excoriating statement that he expressed “deepest concern and total disapproval” of his former colleague's plans. The former Milan and Croatia midfielder became the first figure--and one of the most high-profile--to expose huge concerns about the direction of UEFA under the current leadership.
Boban was not alone in opposing the plans, with former chief executive also unhappy. Gill, who served as United chief executive from 2003 to 2013, is said to believe that the plans were "undemocratic" and "not in the best interests of football". The 66-year-old also allegedly harboured concerns that an extension could see European football’s governing body slip back into the old habits which defined Platini’s time in charge.
Čeferin also faced huge backlash from a dozen member countries for plans to bring back Russia’s youth teams into international competition despite the ongoing war with Ukraine. The plan was swiftly axed in the face of staunch opposition.
Even so, potential opposition to the UEFA chief’s ongoing leadership appeared to be dwindling ahead of the organisation’s annual congress in the French capital.
In his seven years in charge, Čeferin has positioned himself as Europe's reformer in the wake of institutionalised scandal in football governance, as well as mounting claims of competitive and financial imbalance within the game. His tenure has been defined by a tumultuous few years which have included the turmoil of Covid-19, the outbreak of war, significant failings in the handling of major tournaments including successive Champions League finals, and the ongoing threat of a European Super League.
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