By Andrew Warshaw in Athens
September 14 – Aleksander Ceferin, a virtual unknown outside his native Slovenia until a few months ago, was poised to complete arguably the most meteoric rise in European football history Wednesday by being crowned UEFA president in succession to Michel Platini.
As the 55 UEFA associations prepared to cast their votes in the Greek capital, the momentum was swinging even further towards the 48-year-old lawyer and away from his only challenger, the veteran Dutch football chief Michael van Praag.
As both candidates entered the final few hours of lobbying, Scotland, which had been keeping its cards close to its chest, emerged as the latest nation to back Ceferin with some estimates suggesting he could beat van Praag by as many as 15 votes, not only courtesy of Europe’s smaller nations but also heavyweights such as Germany, France and Italy.
Despite seemingly lagging way behind, van Praag, who withdrew late on from the FIFA presidential election back in Febuary, was steadfastly refusing to throw in the towel again.
Putting on a brave face in the lobby of the delegates’ hotel, the former Ajax president said he still believed in his chances. “I don’t think public endorsements are really important so it’s no use to talk about that,” van Praag said.
“It’s more important that I know who is going to support me and there are countries who didn’t want to disclose it and I respect that.”
But he could not hide his disappointment at the Germans choosing Ceferin after initially indicating they would support him.
“I’m disappointed because the Netherlands and Germany always get along very well, we are good neighbours and I felt very confident but now unfortunately they have decided for some reasons I don’t understand,” he said.
“Some people told to me from the beginning they would vote for me, and then all of a sudden they turned their back on me…. if you call that old school, I can only believe that is what happened.”
The German federation has not publicly explained its reasoning but has certainly made its feelings known about Platini being allowed to address the elective congress by FIFA’s ethics committee as a “gesture of humanity” despite being banned from all football-related activity.
Platini, the contents of whose speech are being anticipated more than the election itself, was understood to be staying away from the main UEFA hotel in order to avoid the media spotlight until his big moment arrives.
But as he prepared for what should be an emotional send-off after eight years in charge of UEFA, the Germans made it clear they do not think he should be in Athens at all.
Reinhard Grindel, the DFB’s new president, said giving him the platform for a formal farewell was entirely the wrong decision.
“I would have liked Michel Platini to waive the opportunity to make an appearance,” said Grindel. This congress must be all about the future, not concern itself with being addressed about the past. UEFA Congress should be governed by the programme of the new president and not by the mistakes of his predecessor. ”
Before the vote both candidates will address delegates as they lay out their respective visions for the future of European football and why they should be chosen to take on the remainder of Platini’s term of office until 2019. Both have pledged to re-examine the highly contentious process that led to UEFA revamping the Champions League in favour of Europe’s bigger clubs from 2018-19, a move that has enraged the Continent’s top leagues.
Ultimately, as so often, it will come down to politics and which candidate has been most convincing when persuading the votes to go their way. “I am a new person, not part of the old establishment” Cefarin told The Associated Press. “I have new ideas. I am transparent.”
Van Praag may have the experience and gravitas but as the ballot approached, they did not seem sufficient qualities to prevent Ceferin, who says he has interests of the whole continent at heart, from sweeping into power.
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