Sports
UEFA President Won’t Seek Re-Election
Aleksander Ceferin said yesterday he would not seek a fourth term as UEFA president in 2027 despite the approval of controversial reforms that would allow him to extend his mandate.
“I decided around six months ago that I’m not planning to run in 2027 anymore,” the 56-year-old Slovenian lawyer said at a press conference following the UEFA Congress in Paris.
“The reason is that after some time, every organisation needs fresh blood, but mainly because I was away from my family for seven years now.”
Ceferin also said he was “tired of Covid, tired of two wars” and of plans for a rival Super League that he called a “nonsense project”.
His surprise announcement came shortly after UEFA member nations voted overwhelmingly in favour of a series of statute amendments, including a measure that would have let Ceferin potentially stay in his role until 2031.
“I intentionally didn’t want to disclose my thoughts before, because firstly, I wanted to see the real face of some people and I saw it,” said Ceferin, first elected in 2016 following the downfall of Frenchman Michel Platini.
“I didn’t want to influence the Congress. I wanted them to decide (on the statutes) not knowing what I’m telling you today.”
The key amendment passed does not erase the three-term limit but stipulates that terms of office started or served before July 1, 2017, shall not be taken into account.
The rule was introduced by Ceferin that year as an anti-corruption move in the wake of the FIFA scandal. He said the need to change the existing legislation stemmed from the fact it had not been properly implemented at the time.
Ceferin was re-elected unopposed for a third term last April, just weeks after Gianni Infantino was re-elected as president of the sport’s world governing body FIFA.
However his suggestion he could run for a fourth term, which arose during an executive meeting in December, prompted UEFA’s chief of football Zvonimir Boban to resign last month.
The former Croatia midfielder, who was part of AC Milan’s successful sides in the 1990s, called it a “disastrous idea”.
Ceferin took a parting shot at Boban, formerly a close ally, criticising his “narcissistic whining” and “pathetic cry about morality”.
The motion comfortably received the two-thirds majority required during Thursday’s vote, with England the lone dissenting voice among the 55 member nations. Ukraine abstained.
– ‘Strength in unity’ –
Ceferin hit back at claims that his organisation, which has had to fight off the threat of the breakaway Super League, was crumbling under his leadership.
“UEFA is divided I’ve read, UEFA is fragmented beyond repair I’ve read. I hope that, I’m probably naive, the ones who claim that are a bit embarrassed now after this vote,” he said.
Among a number of other statute changes voted for as a block of measures, which the English FA also opposed, was a proposal guaranteeing greater female representation on UEFA’s ruling executive committee.
An age limit of 70 for all members of that committee was repealed as well.
Twenty-six European countries signed a joint declaration Thursday voicing their opposition to the Super League, although Spain was a notable absentee from that list.
Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are still publicly attached to the project, which sent shockwaves through the sport when 12 of its biggest clubs announced they had signed up to the competition in April 2021.
However, within 48 hours nine of the 12 rebel clubs — including six from the English Premier League — backed down and the project collapsed.
Ceferin took another swipe at those behind the Super League as he addressed the Congress, likening it to “Snow White’s poisoned apple”.
“There is strength in unity, and unity is the only thing that can save us,” said Ceferin.
“Today, a few individuals are trying to divide us in the name of the free market, driven by an insatiable desire to generate ever-increasing profits for the privileged few.
“I know some supporters are critical about us, about FIFA, which is normal. Anti-institution and anti-establishment sentiment is rife.
“But we take it on the chin. Because we know what we stand for. We stand for an ideal; a fragile balance between opposing interests. And that comes at a price.”
Weightlifter Edidiong Umoafia was the cynosure of all eyes at the 13th on-going African Games in Accra after he won three gold medals in weightlifting event to boost Team Nigeria’s medal haul.
He lifted a 135kg in snatch and 165kg in clean and jerk to record a total of 300kg which secured the three gold medals for team Nigeria.
His feat scaled Nigeria’s Weightlifting medal haul to eight after King Kalu (two bronze medal and Favour (two silver and a bronze medals) set the ball rolling on Sunday.
Meanwhile, President of Nigeria Judo Federation (NJF), Dr Olakunle Musa Oshodi, has expressed optimism about the chances of Team Nigeria judokas to win medals at the African Games.
He disclosed in Accra that Team Nigeria’s judokas are in good shape and ready to go for gold in both male and female categories.
“We are in Ghana to compete with the favourites but I must tell Nigerians that we are not only in Ghana to compete but to go for gold in all categories. Our coaches and judokas are ready, and I believe that they would make the country proud at the end of the Games,” he said.
Oshodi also explained that the spirit in camp was high and urged the judokas, coaches to remain focused throughout their fights.
“What I saw among our athletes and coaches show that they are fully ready to win medals for Nigeria. It was unfortunate that we did not win medals in the last African Games although I was not in charge then but this time around, we want to surpass out last performance by reaching the medal zone and win it,” he said.
Nigerian judokas would begin their quest for medals today at the Africa’s flagship multi sports event as
10 judokas are billed to represent the country in the various categories.
Though not as dominant as their women’s counterparts that made a clean sweep of the six available gold medal in wrestling on Sunday, Team Nigeria’s men wrestlers yesterday secured six more medals including three silvers and one bronze.
Ashton Mutuwa lost 12-0 superiority to Youssif Hemida of Egypt in the 125kg final to settle for silver medal while Simeon Enozumini also clinched silver medal after suffering defeat in the final to Egyptian Gamal Mohammed in the 57kg.Ditto for Izolo Stephen in the 65kg who got silver following 10-0 superiority loss to Mourad O. of Egypt.
In the 86kg Harrison Onovwiomogbohwo settled for bronze after a walkover against Egypt Ahmed Khaled while Braveman Oyeinkeperemo lost his 74kg bronze match to Mukendi A. of Congo.
It would be recalled that Team Nigeria’s women wrestlers produced incredible display by winning the available six gold in as many as events at the African Games.
Yesterday’s result means that Team Nigeria won six gold medal, three silver and two bronze in total through wrestling.
The President, Nigeria Wrestling Federation (NWF) President, Daniel Igali, has urged the Federal Government to review the reward system of other sports athletes and make it at par with footballers or even more.
He said the sportsmen and women representing Nigeria at the ongoing African Games in Ghana, have excelled in their various events consequently should be recognised just like the Super Eagles were adequately rewarded despite only finishing second at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote ‘d’Ivoire.
The former Olympic champions noted that other sports athletes deserved to be treated better as he called on the Federal Government to reward them fittingly once the African Games is over .
“Let’s treat everybody equally. We cannot treat super millionaires differently from our athletes,” Igali stated matter-of-factly in an interview with Brila FM. “We had footballers that went to the AFCON and won a silver medal and we gave them houses, plots of lands and national honours.
“Replicate the same favour to these athletes too. They didn’t win silver, they won gold medals,” he added.
Speaking after Team Nigeria women’s wrestlers won the six available gold medals on Sunday, Igali called on the sports ministry and well-meaning Nigerians to come to their aid as unavailability of funds may scuttle their desire to participate at this weekend African Championships and the Olympic Games Qualifiers in Alexandria, Egypt.
“I want to appreciate the girls. They were fantastic. I hope they are able to replicate it at the Olympic qualifiers in Alexandria, Egypt,” he continued. “But as I am speaking to you, we don’t know if we are going to be there because we do not have funds yet. We are expected to leave on the 15th of March because we have to attend the African Championships which is the criterion to feature at the Olympics trials. ”
He added: “We are 12th times African Champions in the female wrestling. We lost that briefly three years ago when we only went with six women to the African Championships and Tunisia came with all theirs.
“We will like to go with a full team of our female wrestlers so that we can become 13th time African Champions and then give of the female wrestlers have the chance to qualify for the Olympics.
“We are to leave on the 15th March, the competition starts on the 17th March and the Olympic qualifiers is from the 23rd to the 26th in Alexandria, Egypt. “
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