Aleksander Ceferin, the head of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), announced on Thursday that he will not seek re-election for the position in 2027.
Although an amendment had been passed that would have allowed him to do so, the 56-year-old Ceferin cited family reasons for his decision.
He explained that every organization needs fresh blood after some time, and he has been away from his family for seven years and will have to be away for another three years if he runs again.
During his announcement, Ceferin revealed two important points of view around the statutes: the legal perspective and the factual perspective.
The legal standpoint is that the statutes had to be changed because the text from the 2017 Congress was unclear and later clarified by the administration without the approval of Congress, which is illegal.
The factual perspective is that he is tired of the COVID-19 pandemic, two wars, and “nonsense projects of so-called super leagues.”
Ceferin also expressed his frustration with self-proclaimed moral authorities who are moral only until it comes to their interests.
Sport around the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in 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 the 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.
Currently, Barcelona and Real Madrid are the only clubs still supporting the breakaway Super League project.
Ceferin 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.
Before he revealed his decision not to stand again, Ceferin was criticized after UEFA’s executive committee meeting in Hamburg in December.
He said the term-limit rules were so badly drafted that his first term did not count towards the limit.
He explained why he waited until now to reveal his decision, stating that he wanted to see the real face of some people and to avoid influencing the Congress.
Among some other statute changes voted for as a block of measures, which the English FA also opposed, was a proposal guaranteeing greater female representation on UEFA’s ruling executive committee.
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.
Only Norway and Iceland voted with the English FA, and the move was unsuccessful.
