By Andrew Warshaw
September 2 – Michael van Praag says European football’s landscape has changed significantly as a result of Brexit and that he is the only candidate for UEFA president with the knowledge and contacts to tackle the problems that lie ahead.
With two weeks to go before the election to succeed Michel Platini, the Dutch FA chief is putting the finishes touches to his campaign before flying to Athens for the all-important vote on September 14.
Much has been made by all three candidates – van Praag, Alexandre Ceferin and Angel Villar llona – of the need for solidarity and unity to avoid a breakaway European league.
But one vital area that has been ignored is the effects of Brexit, says Van Praag, partly because UEFA has been rudder-less in the 10 months since Platini was forced out of office. He says the relationships between clubs, leagues, agents and player unions have all been affected by Brexit, not least over transfers and work permits.
“Some of the day-to-day business has been very well taken of but there a lot of issues that have to be dealt with immediately, notably Brussels,” van Praag told Insideworldfootball in the second part of a two-part interview.
“I have known all these people for years so I can start immediately. I respect Alexandre enormously because he’s an extremely bright lawyer but in my opinion it is not good for UEFA to elect a president who needs time to build up his network, get acquainted and build trust.
“I have that trust already, and the contacts. I can immediately start calling people and make deals. Let me give you an example. Outside of the EU, a transfer is only allowed from the age of 18. Within the EU, they are allowed from 16. We already have a big difference within UEFA and it is complicated further by Brexit.”
“There has been no contact at all at high level between UEFA and Brussels, or for that matter between UEFA and governments outside Brussels which is just as important because half of our members are from non-EU countries. It has all come to a standstill.”
Changing the subject, van Praag doesn’t buy the argument that Ceferin, the youngest pretender to Platini’s crown, has tied up eastern Europe and is already running away with the campaign. Earlier this week, the Hungarian Football Federation (HFF) became the latest UEFA member association to declare support for Ceferin who claims to have 22 pledges from among UEFA’s 55 federations.
But van Praag, who has visited several of the same countries, countered: “I know what he claims but I, too, have a very good feeling after my various discussions. Some countries have told me openly they will vote for someone else. That’s fine but I am confident that as things stand now, I can count on between 24 and 26 countries and that things will go well for me on the day.”
Van Praag knows very well that delegates have a habit of saying one thing beforehand, then switching allegiance in the final few hours before election ballots. Is he worried that could happen to him in Athens?
“No because it’s the same for all us. It also counts for the other candidates. Some of the delegates have clearly already made up their minds, others not. Some of them are bound to decide on the day.”
Staying on the subject of Ceferin, van Praag doesn’t believe the Slovenian FA chief has the support of FIFA president Gianni Infantino. A report by Dutch daily newspaper De Volkskrant claims Infantino sent his Norwegian advisor Kjetil Siem in May to a meeting of the northern European football associations in Milan to tell them to vote for Ceferin. It was reported that an angry van Praag subsequently confronted Infantino but the Dutchman told Insideworldfootball this was not the full story.
“It’s true I spoke to Gianni because the FIFA president should stay out of UEFA elections but he confirmed to me that he has never given any such instructions – and I believe him.”
Van Praag revealed that all three presidential candidates had been invited to present their respective programmes to Nordic countries at a meeting in Copenhagen on September 8. “Only after that meeting will they take a formal position.”
Read Andrew Warshaw’s first interview with Michael van Praag.
Exclusive: Van Praag promises UEFA cost cutting and more cash for MAs
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