No contest: Ceferin to stay as UEFA president as deadline for challengers passes

November 8 – Aleksander Ceferin looks set to rule UEFA for another four years after European football’s ruling body confirmed today the Slovenian is the sole candidate for next February’s elections.

The elections are set to be held in Rome on February 7 but Ceferin’s extension is now a formality after UEFA announced the deadline for candidates ahead of the election in February passed on Wednesday with no challengers.

The Slovenian lawyer was little known outside his native country when he was elected in September 2016 to complete the four-term year of Michel Platini, easily beating Dutch football veteran Michael van Praag to usher in what he described as a “wind of change”

Earlier this week, he made it clear he would firmly oppose against alleged plans to formulate a European Super League while head of UEFA, telling Kicker: “I will fight and do all I can against such a league for as long as I am here.”

UEFA have also revealed the confirmed candidates for FIFA vice-president positions and seats on the FIFA Council.

Hungary’s Sandor Csanyi will continue for another four-year term as a FIFA vice-president after he was also unchallenged, while English Football Association chairman Greg Clarke will go head-to-head with Northern Ireland’s David Martin for the VP position reserved for the four British associations. Former Manchester United chief executive David Gill is vacating the position next year.

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