By Andrew Warshaw
August 19 – With the UEFA presidential election a month away, the youngest and least known of all three candidates, Aleksader Ceferin, is picking up valuable support in his bid to take over the governing body of European football.
Ceferin’s main backing has looked most likely to come from eastern Europe and Scandinavia but the Republic of Ireland has decided to nail its colours to the Slovenian FA chief’s mast, one of the first western European associations to formally announce how it will vote on September 14 to find a permanent replacement for Michel Platini.
Ceferin is going up against Dutch Football Association boss Michael van Praag and veteran Spanish FIFA and UEFA vice-president Angel Maria Villar Llona, both of them considerably older than the 45-year-old who is beating the drum for a more balanced, progressive, forward-looking UEFA.
In a statement, FAI chief executive John Delaney made it clear that no end of lobbying by rival candidates would change which contender his federation planned to endorse.
“I have seen first-hand the great work that Aleksander has done for football and we have been very impressed with him so far,” said Delaney. “I believe that he has all the attributes to bring and create the perfect balance to bring UEFA forward.”
“He has been a very progressive and extremely innovative leader in his native Slovenia and his successful candidacy would be a very positive move for European football and the administration as a whole.”
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