UEFA president Ceferin to stand for re-election in 2027

PARIS, France (AFP)—UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin on Thursday told the 55 member national associations of European football's governing body that he would stand for a final re-election next year.

The announcement reversed the Slovenian's previous decision that he would not seek re-election and came following "unanimous" support from the national associations, UEFA said in a statement.

The 58-year-old was first elected in 2016 to replace Michel Platini, who resigned after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) banned him from football-related activities over a FIFA corruption case.

Ceferin will stand for a final four-year term at UEFA's congress in Kazakhstan next April.

"I want to thank the national associations for their trust," Ceferin said following Thursday's meeting in Berlin.

"We have faced extraordinary challenges over the past years, and we have faced them as one team.

"There is still important work ahead, and I have therefore accepted their request.

"My ambition remains the same: to keep European football united, make our game stronger and leave UEFA ready for the next generation."

In their statement, UEFA said that over the previous months the 55 national associations had "unanimously" asked Ceferin to reconsider his previous intention not to seek re-election.

"The meeting also focused on the future governance and leadership of FIFA," said UEFA, who have led opposition to Gianni Infantino's leadership of world football's governing body.

One of their proposals is that the FIFA president "leads, not manages".