As expected, Aleksander Ceferin has been re-elected President of the European Football Union. DFL supervisory board chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke elected to the executive committee.
The 55-year-old Slovenian Aleksander Ceferin was confirmed in office with applause at the UEFA Congress on Wednesday (March 5, 2023) in Lisbon. Ceferin has led the continental federation since September 2016 and did not have to face any competition when he was re-elected for the first time in 2019.
Ceferin: “I’ll do my best”
Ceferin took over the post seven years ago, succeeding Michel Platini, who was suspended at the time. As head of UEFA, Ceferin is also vice-president of the world association FIFA. The German Football Association (DFB) had already assured the Slovene of its support in advance.
“It really means a lot to me”said Ceferin. “It’s a great honor, but above all a great, great responsibility.” He will do his best for the UEFA delegates and for football “not to disappoint”.
Watzke completes Koch’s term of office
DFL supervisory board chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke has moved into the executive committee of the European Football Union. As expected, the 63-year-old was appointed to the decision-making body of the continental federation with no opponents.
Watzke completes the last two years of Rainer Koch’s term of office, who had resigned from the post in consultation with the German Football Association. Then came the election of Bernd Neuendorf to the council of the world governing body FIFA, and the DFB president also had no opponents.
Alongside Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Watzke is the second German official on the UEFA Executive Committee. The former CEO of FC Bayern sits on the committee as a representative of the European Club Association ECA. Watzke, who is also CEO of Borussia Dortmund, had announced that he would give up his seat on the ECA board in a UEFA election.