The head of European soccer’s governing body UEFA, Aleksander Ceferin, said on Thursday that he would not stand for re-election in 2027 for family reasons, even though an amendment had been passed allowing him to do so.
The 56-year-old added that he was tired of COVID, two wars and “nonsense projects of so-called super leagues”.
There had been a 12-year limit on the UEFA presidency, which Ceferin helped introduce, and he has been in power since taking over in 2016 from Michel Platini. He was re-elected for a second term in 2019 and a third term last year.
“I have decided, let’s say around six months ago, that I am not planning to run in 2027 anymore,” the Slovenian told reporters after the UEFA Congress in Paris.
“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 and I will be away from them for another three years.”
Before he revealed his decision not to stand again, Ceferin said there were two important points of view around the statutes, first a legal one and secondly a factual one.
“The legal one is that it had to be changed because the text from the 2017 Congress was unclear and later clarified by the administration without the approval of Congress and that is illegal.
“The statutes had to be changed or term limits wouldn’t exist at all and many articles were published about it before anyone asking me any questions.
“The factual one, that’s my decision if I want to run after 2027, honestly speaking, I’m tired of COVID, I’m tired of two wars, nonsense projects of so-called super leagues.
“I’m also tired of self-proclaimed moral authorities who are moral just until it comes to their personal interests.”
COVID-19 hit sport around the world from 2020, while Russian soccer teams were suspended by UEFA after Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, which Moscow calls a ‘special operation’. The Israel-Hamas conflict has also disrupted scheduling of matches.
In April 2021 UEFA prevented 12 clubs from forming a Super League, with other clubs and leagues coming together to denounce the project. Barcelona and Real Madrid are now the only clubs still supporting a breakaway Super League project.
BADLY DRAFTED
Ceferin, criticised after UEFA’s executive committee meeting in Hamburg in December where he said the term-limit rules were so badly drafted that his first term did not count towards the limit, explained why he waited until now to reveal his decision.
“I intentionally didn’t want to disclose my thoughts for two reasons, first I wanted to see the real face of some people and I saw it, I saw good and bad.
“And of course, I didn’t want to influence the Congress, I wanted them to decide not knowing what I am telling you today, because that’s an honest decision.”
Last month, UEFA’s chief of football Zvonimir Boban left the body in protest against Ceferin’s move to support changes in the statutes that would allow him to extend his term in office.
The amendment to UEFA’s Article 69 would have meant that the first partial term Ceferin served after former France midfielder Platini resigned following a FIFA ban over ethics breaches, would not be counted within the three-year limit.
The English Football Association was the only member to vote against the amendment at the Congress, and it had earlier tried to have a separate vote on the amendment rather than voting on all of the amendments together.
That move was unsuccessful, with only Norway and Iceland voting with the English FA.
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