The current statute approved by the UEFA clarifies that no person can hold the position of the president of the highest European football organization for more than 12 years, the maximum duration for a position that is renewable for three terms.
According to today’s edition of the Financial Times, UEFA is working to overcome this obstacle in favor of another term for current president Aleksander Čeferin.
The Slovenian official has been in charge of the European Federation since 2016, and his current term will expire in 2027, 11 years after his inauguration, which under the current regulations cannot be extended for another term of four years.
The UEFA stated through an official note: “The legal committee proposed a series of changes to the statute to clarify certain existing provisions to ensure that none will apply retroactively, in accordance with a fundamental legal principle.”
Various drafts of the new statute also proposed the abolishment of the age limit of 70 years for those wishing to join the executive committee, giving certain members the opportunity to remain longer.
Therefore, a complete review of the term limits proposed by Čeferin in the early months of his term is being considered “necessary for strengthening UEFA”.
This modification will align UEFA with a long-term policy which is being implemented in international football organizations. For example, FIFA will continue to be chaired by Gianni Infantino at least until 2027, as the first three years were not considered in the calculation of the limits, following approval by the FIFA Council.
It is common practice in the world of sports politics to seek to exceed the rules that limit the duration of various positions. Some members of the International Olympic Committee recently called for Thomas Bach to extend his presidency beyond 2025, when he is expected to resign.
There are officials who strongly disagree with this trend to overstep term limits. Concerns have been expressed that there is a broader tendency to weaken the governance of major sporting bodies.
Former head of governance and compliance for UEFA, Alex Phillips, stated that it was a regressive sign from previous reform efforts.
