UEFA: Aleksander Čeferin gets re-elected as UEFA president

He won his first term as the President of UEFA in 2016.

On Wednesday, Aleksander Čeferin, president of European football’s governing body UEFA, was reelected unopposed for a third four-year term.

First elected in 2016, Čeferin was chosen by acclamation during the organization’s annual Congress in Lisbon. As with his first reelection in 2019, Čeferin was the only candidate.

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After re-election, Čeferin said, “It means a lot to me; it is truly an honour but mainly a great responsibility towards you and football. I will do my best not to disappoint you and football.”

A professional lawyer, the 55-year-old Slovenian took over as UEFA head from France’s Michel Platini, who resigned over a conflict of interest and abuse of power scandal. Platini and then-FIFA boss Sepp Blatter later faced criminal charges in that case in Switzerland but were acquitted last July.

Čeferin has proved to be a smooth political operator, cultivating critical relationships in Brussels and national capitals.UEFA, which organizes the international European Championship and the flagship Champions League, has faced several challenges under Čeferin’s leadership.

In April 2021, the UEFA president survived an internal mutiny. This was when some of the biggest football clubs in Europe attempted to create a breakaway Super League, gathering the elite of European football. The project faced widespread backlash from fans and politicians and collapsed less than two days after launch.