January 28 – German football federation (DFB) President Theo Zwanziger (pictured) will be unopposed to fill the place on the FIFA ruling Executive Committee created by the decision of Franz Beckenbauer to step down.
The decision of the former German captain and manager to step down after serving a single four-year term has coincided with his disappointment at the controversial decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
As the only candidate for the spot, Zwanziger is almost certain to get final approval at the UEFA Congress in Paris on March 22.
Zwanziger, a 65-year-old lawyer, lacks the playing CV of Beckenbauer – having only played to an amateur level – but has carved out a successful career in football administration, having been been President of the DFB since 2006 having previously been treasuer, and is already a member of UEFA’s Executive Committee.
“It shows the shared confidence of UEFA and its member associations, whose high regard our President enjoys,” said Wolfgang Niersbach, the German Football Association’s General Secretary.
The other spots on FIFA’s Executive Committee are set to go to FIFA vice-president Angel Maria Villar Llona and UEFA President Michel Platini, who are both also unchallenged.
Villar, 61, has served on the 24-member FIFA Executive Committee since 1998 and was a central figure in the failed Spain-Portugal bid to host the 2018 World Cup, which was awarded to Russia last month.
Their FIFA terms are scheduled to start at its May 31-June 1 congress in Zurich.
The 53-nation UEFA meeting also will acclaim Michel Platini unopposed as President, and FIFA vice-president, for a second term.
The FIFA vice-presidency reserved for the four British nations is being handed on from Englishman Geoff Thompson to Jim Boyce of Northern Ireland.
UEFA also revealed today that three former World Cup players who now lead their national federations are seeking to join its own 16-member Executive body.
Grzegorz Lato, the Polish forward who scored at three straight tournaments from 1974-82; Ivan Hasek, who captained Czechoslovakia to the quarter-finals in 1990; and Borislav Mihaylov, goalkeeper on Bulgaria’s 1994 semifinalists, will compete for one of seven seats up for election in Paris.
Six current executive members – Villar, Grygoriy Surkis of Ukraine, Senes Erzik of Turkey, Portugal’s Gilberto Madail, Mircea Sandu of Romania and Lithuanian Liutauras Varanavieius – are seeking re-election.
Joseph Mifsud of Malta is retiring.
Lato, Hasek and Mihaylov are joined by four more potential newcomers: Francois De Keersmacker of Belgium, Norman Darmanin Demajo from Malta, Russian Football Union President Sergey Fursenko and Switzerland’s Peter Gillieron.
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November 2011: Beckenbauer standing down from FIFA Executive Committee