In an official statement posted on its website, the DFB wrote: “The German Football Association (DFB) will vote for Slovenian candidate Aleksander Ceferin in the UEFA presidential election on the 14th September.” The Germans had informed all three candidates of the decision before the press release.

Taking into account the support from France and Germany, Čeferin has received support from 22 European national football associations. In total, Uefa has 55 members. Čeferin’s competitors Angel Maria Villar and Michael van Praag do not count their votes of support publicly, but judging by publicly announced pledges and informal approval Čeferin should have more than enough support to be elected Michel Platini’s successor in the first round of the voting congress. In addition to the 22 official votes, Čeferin is allegedly likely to be backed by Kosovo, the two other Baltic countries, a few other countries formerly part of the Soviet Union, and by Uefa’s smallest members such as Malta and San Marino. If this is true, Čeferin has secured the majority for winning the presidential post, since 28 votes will be needed to win the elections, which will take place on 14 September in Athens.

Slovenian politicians have also voiced support for Čeferin. President of the National Assembly Milan Brglez invited him for a visit. According to Brglez, the candidacy is important not only for Slovenian and European football, but also for the recognition and reputation of Slovenia in Europe and worldwide. Therefore, the president of the assembly has and will continue to promote Čeferin’s candidacy for Uefa presidency as part of his activities abroad, since he believes Čeferin to be an excellent candidate with required expert knowledge, vision and commitment to high working and ethical standards.

To. G., MMC; translated by K. Z.