Ceferin poised for new term as UEFA President

AFP, Lisbon :
Aleksander Ceferin stands unopposed for a new term as President of Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) when European football’s governing body meets in Lisbon on Wednesday.
The 55-year-old Slovenian lawyer, elected in 2016 following the downfall of Frenchman Michel Platini, is therefore assured of a further four years in the role despite a turbulent second term overshadowed by the breakaway European Super League project.
The UEFA Congress in the Portuguese capital comes just a few weeks after Gianni Infantino was re-elected as President of FIFA, also unopposed.
Ceferin has had his differences with Infantino, with the UEFA chief notably one of the main voices against FIFA’s proposals to host the World Cup every two years instead of the current four.
That idea has been abandoned by Infantino, but the European Super League is not dead and buried, with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus continuing to pursue the project.
A lawsuit has been launched against UEFA and FIFA at the European Court of Justice, accusing the governing bodies of abusing their power by threatening to expel clubs and players interested in joining a breakaway league.
A final ruling is expected in the coming weeks, although the court’s advocate general, whose opinions are often followed by judges, provided a first ruling favourable to UEFA in December.
Assuming that decision goes UEFA’s way, Ceferin will be able to focus on pursuing the planned introduction of new Financial Fair Play rules, which will see clubs forced to limit spending on player and staff wages, transfers and agents fees to 70 percent of total revenues by 2025/26.