UEFA chief Ceferin: 'Underdog' leader taking fight to FIFA's Infantino
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin is navigating complex power dynamics within global football governance while avoiding a direct challenge to FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Ceferin has gained political capital following UEFA's successful opposition to FIFA's private investor plans.
Why it matters
The power struggle between UEFA and FIFA influences the future of global football tournaments and the commercial structure of the sport.
Ceferin has previously called himself an "underdog" leader, despite having been at the helm of UEFA since 2016 and pushed through a statute change which will allow him to run for a fourth term next year.
One battle the 58-year-old Slovenian appears ready to sit out is as a challenger to Infantino, who is seeking a fourth and final term as FIFA president in Rabat next March.
"No," he told Politico last September when asked if he was considering standing for the FIFA presidency.
Infantino is under severe pressure for the first time, in part due to UEFA's reaction to his scrapped private investor plan.
Ceferin would be a crucial ally to any potential challenger to Infantino.
UEFA's threat to boycott the World Cup if Infantino pushed through his proposals arguably led to the Swiss's humiliating climbdown in ditching the plan last Saturday.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in