There is still no official word on the number of candidates registered, but NZS will release that information on Monday. At the time, the association will also announce whether all the candidacies meet the posted requirements. Among the requirements is a proposed program that must be submitted by each candidate.

In an interview with TV Slovenia, Mijatović stressed that strengthening of the First League brand and raising the profile of soccer in Slovenian society are among his priorities. "This way, we could bring more money to soccer, enabling the teams to work better and giving them stability," he said. At the same time, he wants to fill "the bottom part of the Slovenian soccer pyramid" more effectively by bringing in additional young people into the sport -- youngsters who could develop into top-tier soccer players in the future.

If elected, Nemec also wants to emphasize club soccer, as well as women and young people. "I would support many new approaches, which would bring greater openness and transparency to the association. Most of all, I would encourage new and different approaches. The world is rapidly changing, and soccer is changing with it," he said. He went on to stress that he would continue Aleksander Čeferin’s policies and work with people who have followed Čeferin and moved from Brdo to Nyon -- the headquarters of UEFA.

Representatives of nine Inter-Municipality Associations, referees, and coaches

Various Inter-Municipality Associations (MNZ), or at least 20 clubs, were able nominate candidates for the presidency, who had to be active in soccer for at least three years.

At the conference where the voting will take place, 30 delegates will have the right to vote –five belong to the Ljubljana MNZ, four to the Maribor MNZ, three each to the Celje MNZ, the Murska Sobota MNZ, and the Ptuj MNZ, and two each from the Gorenjska MNZ, the Koper MNZ, the Lendava MNZ, and the Nova Gorica MNZ. The referees’’ and the coaches’’ associations also get two delegates.

The number of delegates from each MNZ is based on the number of soccer and five-a-side soccer clubs in each MNZ. They must have at least three teams in NZS competition. If a MNZ has fewer than 10 clubs, it gets a single delegate, if it has 11 to 20 cubs, it gets two delegates, if it has 21 to 20 clubs, it gets three delegates, and so on.

To win the secret ballot, candidates must get more than 50% of the cast votes. In February 2011, Čeferin received 24 of the 29 total votes. He had no opponent, since Tugomir Frajman had withdrawn his candidacy ahead of time. Five delegates submitted invalid ballots. Ivan Simič was the president before Čeferin; at the 2009 conference, he received 23 votes, while his opponent Frajman received 15.

As has been reported, the vote for the next full, four-year term will take place on December 15. Mijatović is the hands-on favorite. He has been the acting president of NZS since October 8, when Čeferin’s resignation became official.

M. R., Marjeta Hočevar (TV SLO); Translated by J. B.