Al-Khelaifi Urges Ceferin to Run for a New UEFA Term

Paris, AFP – Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of the European Club Association (ECA), urged Slovenian UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin to run for a new term at the head of the continental federation during the ECA’s general assembly in Copenhagen.

Al-Khelaifi, who is also president of French club Paris Saint-Germain, told Čeferin: “Football needs great leaders like you. On behalf of more than 900 clubs in the European Club Association, we ask you to run again for the presidency next year.”

Čeferin was elected to lead UEFA in September 2016, and was re-elected in 2019 and 2023. His current term runs until 2027. So far, the Slovenian has kept speculation about his candidacy open, despite initially ruling it out.

The ECA president has repeatedly demonstrated his close relationship with the UEFA chief, joining the continental federation’s opposition to FIFA president Gianni Infantino and his project, later abandoned, to open the global governing body to private-sector investors.

However, in an interview with the British podcast “The Rest Is Politics” in late August, Čeferin ruled out running for the FIFA presidency in the elections scheduled for March 2027, where Infantino remains the only declared candidate so far.

Commenting on the governance crisis at FIFA, without naming Infantino or the global body, Al-Khelaifi said: “It is truly sad to see the current situation.” He added critically: “Instead of developing our sport, we waste our time dealing with problems and difficulties. Football succeeds when we listen to each other. When we are transparent with one another. But most importantly, when we are honest.”