Aleksander Čeferin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aleksander Čeferin
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Čeferin in 2019
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| 7th President of UEFA | |
| Assumed office 14 September 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Michel Platini Ángel María Villar (Acting) |
| 17th President of the Football Association of Slovenia |
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| In office 2011–2016 |
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| Preceded by | Ivan Simič |
| Succeeded by | Radenko Mijatović |
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| Born | 13 October 1967 Ljubljana, SR Slovenia, Yugoslavia (now Slovenia) |
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| Alma mater | University of Ljubljana |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Aleksander Čeferin (born 13 October 1967) is a Slovenian lawyer. He is also a leader in the world of football. From 2011 to 2016, he was the president of the Football Association of Slovenia. Since September 2016, he has been the president of UEFA. UEFA is the main football organization in Europe.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Aleksander Čeferin studied law at the University of Ljubljana. After finishing his studies, he joined his family's law firm. He became very interested in helping professional athletes and sports teams. Later, he took over the company from his father. His brother, Rok, is now the President of Slovenia's Constitutional Court. His sister, Petra, is an architect and a professor.
Getting Involved in Football
In 2005, Čeferin started to get more involved in local football. He worked with the executive board of a futsal club called FC Litija. Futsal is a type of indoor football. He also joined the executive committee of an amateur team, FC Ljubljana Lawyers. From 2006 to 2011, he was a member of NK Olimpija Ljubljana.
In 2011, Čeferin was chosen to be the president of the Football Association of Slovenia. This organization manages football in Slovenia. He also worked with UEFA's Legal Committee from 2011 to 2016.
Leading UEFA
First Time as President
On 14 September 2016, Aleksander Čeferin was elected as the seventh President of UEFA. This also made him a vice-president of FIFA. He won with 42 votes at the UEFA Congress in Athens. His opponent, Michael van Praag, received 13 votes.
Čeferin's main goal was to make UEFA's rules fairer. He wanted to improve how UEFA was run. His ideas were approved in April 2017. These changes included limits on how long presidents and committee members could serve. They also required committee members to hold an active role in their national football associations.
What He Did in His First Term
One of Čeferin's first goals was to make European football more balanced. He wanted to reduce the big difference between rich, famous clubs and smaller ones. He held many meetings to find ways to do this.
Čeferin also promised to make the UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations (FFPR) stronger. These rules help clubs manage their money better. Thanks to these rules, European clubs made profits in 2017. Before, many clubs were losing money.
Other changes included making the UEFA Governance and Compliance Committee stronger. This committee helps ensure rules are followed. Representatives from the European Club Association (ECA) also got positions on the UEFA Executive Committee. Later, a representative from the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) joined too.
Čeferin also worked to build stronger relationships with important groups. These included the European Parliament and the European Commission. He also focused on supporting grassroots football and women's association football. Grassroots football is about developing the sport at a local level. UEFA increased funding for women's football development by 50% in October 2018. They also signed their first sponsorship deal just for women's football.
Re-election for a Second Term
On 7 February 2019, Čeferin was re-elected for another four-year term. This happened at the UEFA Congress in Rome. In his speech, he talked about keeping European football united. He wanted it to remain respectful and strong. He also emphasized that football should show solidarity and bring hope.
What He Did in His Second Term
The 2019–20 football season was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, under Čeferin's leadership, UEFA was able to finish all its major club competitions. The final stages of the Champions League, Europa League, and Women's Champions League were held as special tournaments. They took place in Portugal, Germany, and Spain.
Čeferin always opposed the idea of a separate "Super League" for elite clubs. He said it would never happen while he was in charge. This led to disagreements with FIFA president Gianni Infantino. In April 2021, when the European Super League idea was announced, Čeferin warned of possible punishments for the clubs involved. He urged the club owners to change their minds. He said, "Gentlemen, you made a huge mistake." He added that there was still time to fix it. After his appeal and protests from fans, most clubs left the Super League project. It collapsed just three days after it was announced.
Stance on the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Čeferin strongly spoke out against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. He banned Russia from UEFA competitions. He quickly moved the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final from St. Petersburg to Paris. However, he has not removed Belarus from international football.
Re-election for a Third Term
On 5 April 2023, Čeferin was unanimously re-elected as UEFA President. This happened at the 47th UEFA Congress in Lisbon. His term will last until 2027. He thanked everyone for their support. He promised to always put football first and protect it.
What He Did in His Third Term
Čeferin continued to focus on "placing football first." UEFA created a new Football Board. This group gives advice and shares experience on important football topics. These topics include rules of the game, refereeing, and player well-being. Famous football figures like Zinedine Zidane and José Mourinho are members of this board.
Helping Others Through Football
In November 2017, Čeferin became the chairman of the UEFA Foundation for Children. This foundation helps children around the world. It supports projects related to children's rights, health, education, and helping them fit into society.
Also in November 2017, Čeferin joined a charity movement called Common Goal. He promised to give 1% of his salary to their projects. He believes football can change the world. He encouraged others in football to also donate to causes they care about.
In March 2022, the UEFA Foundation for Children gave €1 million to help children in Ukraine. This money also helped child refugees in nearby countries because of the war. In February 2023, UEFA and its foundation donated €200,000 to help victims of earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.
Awards and Recognition
In 2016, a Slovenian sports newspaper named Čeferin the sports personality of the year. In January 2019, SportsPro Media listed him as one of the most influential people in the sports industry. World Soccer magazine also named him one of their people of the year in 2019.
In September 2021, Čeferin was named “2021 Best Executive” by the World Football Summit (WFS) Awards. This was for his strong leadership in stopping the European Super League. It was also for successfully holding the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament during the pandemic.
In November 2021, Politico included him on their list of the most influential people in Europe. This was for his role in defeating the European Super League and opposing a World Cup every two years. In January 2022, a Slovenian newspaper called Delo named him Person of the Year for 2021. This was for quickly stopping the plan of rich clubs to create a super-league.
Personal Life
Aleksander Čeferin is married to Barbara and has three daughters. He speaks several languages: Slovenian, Croatian, Italian, and English. He grew up supporting the football club Hajduk Split. He is also a 4th Dan black belt in Shotokan Karate. He loves motorsports and has crossed the Sahara Desert five times. He crossed it four times by car and once by motorcycle. As a teenager, Čeferin served in the Yugoslav People's Army in 1986. He later served as a soldier in the Slovenian War of Independence in 1991.
See also
In Spanish: Aleksander Čeferin para niños
