Uefa’s president, Aleksander Ceferin, has held talks with a number of European federations about reversing his pledge to step down in 2027. Ceferin announced at the Uefa Congress in February that he would not seek re-election at the end of his current term, but the Guardian has learned that he is being encouraged by several smaller federations to stand again.
Ceferin has yet to give any indication of his intentions, but Uefa insiders have said there are suspicions in Nyon that the Slovenian lawyer could be persuaded to stand again if a suitable successor fails to emerge. No candidates have even privately put themselves forward to replace Ceferin since his surprise announcement. The president of the Romanian Football Federation, Razvan Burleanu, has ruled himself out.
