UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin is planning to change the statutes in order to be able to remain in office for another four years. The Slovenian wants to run again in 2027.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin is planning to change the statutes in order to be able to remain in office for another four years. The Slovenian wants to have the rule specified at the European Football Union Congress on February 8, 2024 in Paris, according to which an association head can only hold this position for three terms of office.
Upon request, UEFA confirmed a BBC report on this plan. Ceferin himself introduced term limits after his election in 2016. The planned trick: Ceferin wants to run again in 2027, as his first term only ended the remaining term of his predecessor Michel Platini, i.e. did not cover a full four-year period.
Approach like FIFA President Infantino
The 56-year-old could then be confirmed in office again until 2031. With this argument, FIFA President Gianni Infantino also sought to extend his rule in the world association.
As the BBC reported, Ceferin’s actions at UEFA’s most recent executive meeting are said to have led to criticism from the committee, largely from influential English official David Gill. DFL boss Hans-Joachim Watzke sits on the executive board of the German Football Association.
Ceferin is considered a close cooperation partner for the DFB leadership around President Bernd Neuendorf, especially due to Germany’s role as host of the European Championships next summer. For the change, Ceferin would need a two-thirds majority of the 55 UEFA member associations in Paris.
UEFA confirmed the plans. “The Legal Affairs Committee has proposed a number of constitutional amendments that clarify some existing provisions to ensure that none are retroactively applicable – in line with a fundamental legal principle,” the association said. “Both the Governance Committee and the Executive Committee agreed to the changes, which will now be considered by Congress in February.”