Aleksander Ceferin will not run for a new term as president of the European football association UEFA in 2027. He announced this himself on Thursday during a press conference at the annual UEFA congress in Paris. The announcement came shortly after a controversial rule change on Thursday afternoon that allowed him to run for re-election.
The Slovenian lawyer is said to have made the decision to retire in 2027 six months ago for personal reasons. Among other things, the pandemic and the plans of major European clubs to set up a rival Super League – “a nonsense project” – have made him tired, he says. According to Ceferin, who has led UEFA since 2016, it is time for “fresh blood” within the European football association.
Ceferin’s decision is striking. On Thursday afternoon, the 55 affiliated football associations voted during the annual UEFA congress in Paris for an amendment to the statutes, which would have allowed Ceferin to start his fourth term in 2027. A similar scenario previously unfolded at world football association FIFA, which means that chairman Gianni Infantino may remain in office until 2031.
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