Football
Reuters 5y

Aleksander Ceferin re-appointed UEFA president after running unopposed

Aleksander Ceferin was re-elected unopposed on Thursday as president of European football's ruling body UEFA for a four-year term at its annual Congress in Rome.

The 55-year-old immediately promised a dramatic overhaul of European club competitions.

"We will work hand in hand with our partner, the European Club Association (ECA), to design the club competitions of the future," Ceferin told delegates. "Club competitions that are in keeping with the times, full of excitement and intensity and open, which will bring a new dimension to European football."

He added that UEFA would do "everything possible" to bring the 2030 World Cup to Europe and that European football's break-even rule known as financial fair play (FFP) would be updated.

"We will make football fairer, we will adapt the FFP rules to establish a new European balance: the initial objectives of FFP have been achieved -- finances are healthier than ever," Ceferin said.

Ceferin was first elected in September 2016 to replace Michel Platini after the former France midfielder was banned by FIFA for ethics violations. Platini has denied any wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, Ceferin also said he is working with ECA leader Andrea Agnelli to protect the Champions League from any breakaway threats.

"While we lead these two organisations there will be no Super League" Ceferin said. "It is a fact."

Speaking to European football officials on Wednesday, Ceferin recalled a group of elite clubs were considering a split in 2016 before he was voted UEFA president.

Ceferin said that, if clubs had split from the Champions League "they would have lost their status as great clubs in the hearts of the people. The only thing great about you would be your past."

The Slovenian official told the clubs "trust me, you will not regret" taking a stand against cynicism and greed.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report

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