UEFA Election Holds Today

 

Whoever is chosen as UEFA's next president in Wednesday's election will move to block a new European super league.nAleksander Ceferin and Michael van Praag are the only two contenders to replace the suspended Michel Platini after Spain's Angel Maria Villar withdrew last week.

While Ceferin and Van Praag have had disagreements ahead of the vote, they are united in their bid to stop the continent's leading clubs from breaking away and creating a wider financial gap. Slovenian lawyer Ceferin said: “I will fight against that but I don't think it's a big threat. They also know it's important to be part of a league everyone can be part of. We should communicate more with them and the football associations. I don't think it is a serious threat. We will do everything [to ensure a] super league never happens. It will never happen. I am not sure if the clubs want a super league. We will never be for that.”

Dutch FA president Van Praag said “The clubs took advantage of the fact we didn't have a president and they came up with this idea of a super league. That is a pity but I would not say UEFA is in crisis because I know very well how to handle this, I can tell you. Yes, I can. I am not going to tell you [how] on the television. That is now something I will do with all the stakeholders, the clubs and the leagues.”

Ceferin, 48, is the favourite to succeed Platini but Van Praag is the choice the Football Association are backing. He has already said he will leave the post in 2019 if he is elected and refutes claims he is too nice to take on the role. Ceferin is expected to pull in between 30 and 40 votes of the 55 being cast and appears to have significant backing from many of the major nations including Germany, Russia, France and Italy - the Scottish FA confirmed on Tuesday that it intends to support Ceferin.