June 9 – Momentum is gathering behind Slovenian FA president Aleksander Čeferin in his bid to become president of UEFA. The Estonian FA have announced that they would support his candidacy. Čeferin has still to admit his official nomination but that now only looks to be a formality.
Čeferin yesterday received the backing of 13 UEFA member associations– Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Turkey – at a regional meeting he was attending in Moscow.
The Estonian FA in its statement adding their backing to his campaign, referred to the commitment of the Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland football associations to support Čeferin in the September 15 election at UEFA’s extraordinary congress to take place in Athens, Greece.
Aivar Pohlak, president of Estonian FA, said: “The vision of Aleksander Ceferin about the future of UEFA and European football resembles to our’s and therefore it is natural for us to back him. UEFA needs a leader with a long and clear vision not only until the end of the current presidential term. UEFA is facing several serious tasks and it is important these are solved in the best possible way both in shorter and longer perspective.”
So far only Holland’s Michael van Praag has formally declared his candidacy. Interim president Maria Angel Villar Llona is expected to announce his candidacy, though he is also under increasing pressure in Spain and facing challenges to his presidency of the Spanish federation.
Nominees have until July 20 to formally submit their candidacy.
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