Aleksander Čeferin has been elected UEFA President at the European body’s Extraordinary Congress in Athens. The 48-year-old Slovenian received 42 votes from UEFA’s member associations, against 13 votes for the other candidate, Michael van Praag (Netherlands). Čeferin’s mandate runs until 2019.
Speaking following his election, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said:
“It is a great honour and a great responsibility UEFA’s member associations have entrusted me with. I am looking forward to working closely with all of you in order to promote, protect and develop football across our continent and to ensure that the European football family is always united… now and in the future.”
In taking the helm of European football, Čeferin becomes the seventh UEFA President, following Ebbe Schwartz (Denmark, 1955-1962), Gustav Wiederkehr (Switzerland, 1962-1972), Artemio Franchi (Italy, 1973-1983), Jacques Georges (France, 1983-1990), Lennart Johansson (Sweden, 1990-2007) and Michel Platini (France, 2007-2016), who have all served as UEFA President since the body was founded in 1954.
In addition, Evelina Christillin, a 60-year old Italian national, was elected by acclamation as a female European member of the FIFA Council.
(UEFA Press Release | Photo by Paul Murphy – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)