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By Andrew Warshaw in Paris
February 8 – The threat of a revived European Super League and tackling the resurgence of racism – two of the main pressing issues across the European football landscape – dominated UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin’s address to delegates at the UEFA Congress today.
But significantly there was an almost unanimous vote in favour of a string of amendments to the UEFA statutes, one of which in particular has hit the headlines in recent weeks.
Almost unanimous being the operative words.
Three countries – understood to be England, Iceland and Norway – voted against taking a plethora of amendments as one entity, with Ukraine and one other unnamed country abstaining.
The rebels wanted a separate discussion on a specific amendment that would have the effect of letting Ceferin stay in office longer than the current rules permit, possibly until 2031.
The 12-year term limit at UEFA was personally brought in by Ceferin as an anti-corruption move in the fallout from the FifaGate scandal.
The new amendment would mean any appointment before 2017 would not be counted as part of the allowable three terms because he took charge during Michel Platini’s four-year term.
Critics said that was unconstitutional but there is also an opposite view, one that says not allowing Ceferin to take a third term is actually making the process undemocratic and removing a potentially popular candidate from the field.
The English FA then voted against accepting the statutes themselves but in the end it mattered little as the entire package went through.
In his address, Ceferin again attacked the concept of a Super League saying that in the 70 years since it was founded, UEFA had become “a shining example of European unity.”
“European football’s strength lies in this acute sense of belonging, this adherence to a clear, simple, powerful model based on common values,” said Ceferin.
“From Portugal to Kazakhstan, from Cyprus to the Faroe…
Source link : https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2024/02/08/ceferin-says-esl-backers-predators-not-victims-cant-allowed-dig-footballs-grave/
Author : Paul Nicholson
Publish date : 2024-02-08 13:40:31
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