UEFA Legends Lounge: Aleksander Čeferin
Sunday, July 14, 2024
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UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin sat down with Rio Ferdinand in the Legends Lounge to discuss UEFA EURO 2024 and a wide range of footballing topics.
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Just before the UEFA EURO 2024 final, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin sat down with former England defender Rio Ferdinand in the latest episode of Legends Lounge to discuss a wide range of topics – including the success of the tournament, predictions for the showpiece and the state of the game in general.
Here are some of the highlights...
On UEFA EURO 2024
The tournament is amazing. The fans are amazing, great matches, a lot of tight matches – luck for some teams and [bad] luck for Slovenia, for example. But a great tournament, great fans, not many incidents. There were three or four incidents altogether and we have more than 3 million fans here. So, it's amazing.
It's a huge, huge thing. We have 250 of our people working all the time on this project. We have 16,000 volunteers. We've had many meetings with the German government. You have to know that it's a big, big responsibility to organise an event like this, especially in these tough times when you have different security issues.
It's quite [a bit] easier, I would say, especially for the fans. Now, we have [shrunk], if not completely eliminated, the black market. And everybody says that the ticketing system works great.
On who has impressed him so far
There are many players in many teams that impressed me. If I start with the finalists, I'm always impressed by [Jude] Bellingham's extreme quality.
I think I was most impressed by Rodri – he's the brain of the Spanish team. He doesn't lose the ball; I don't know how he does it.
I was impressed by one of our [Slovenia] players called [Žan] Karničnik. He had an amazing tournament. So many, many good players – it's really hard to mention even ten of them, but very, very good football.
On the legacy of the tournament
One thing is that this is the greenest EURO, that we sold the most tickets in history, that also revenues are huge, and what people don't know is that 97% of all the revenues go back into football.
But, for me, this wider message is even more important – that in times when we have every day another war, when we have violence everywhere, when we have only negative energy in the air, there's an event where people celebrate. When they're patriotic, when they're happy, when they don't think... You know, fans here don't think that the football match is war.
It's a game. It's a game where the better team wins. Sometimes we are mad, sometimes we don't like the referee's decisions, but in the end, it's a festival of friendship, a festival of unity, of football, and it's a festival of non-discrimination. I think this wider message is the biggest legacy.
"What people don't know is that 97% of all the revenues go back into football."
On only the captain being allowed to speak to the referee
I think it's great. The teams are happy and practically all the leagues and federations have said that they will [implement] it in their own leagues. The Germans told us they will do it in their fourth, third, second and first divisions.
I don't think it's good to tolerate that ten players are jumping around the referee and pushing the referee. It's very good to know who the captain is, and [that only] the captain speaks directly to the referee. I think it's played out well, and we will [implement] it in our club competitions next season.
On who deserves praise for organising EURO 2024
I would say, for sure, the volunteers. I would absolutely praise the German police. They are friendly from one point of view. From the other point of view, they are strict and they are taking care of security.
And I have to mention our CEO of UEFA events, Martin Kallen, who is never praised but always criticised. And there are many, many other heroes as well.
On his prediction for the final between Spain and England
I'm not a very diplomatic person, and I would say if I had a clear prediction, but I will not do it for two reasons: one is that whatever I predict doesn't happen; and, second, I really think it's 50-50.
For me, Spain play the best football in this tournament. I was fascinated by the Spanish team. I didn't expect that before. I knew they were one of the favourites, but I didn't expect that.
And England have really top-quality players. And I think that your team [England] is rising slowly. Every match, they play better football. In the semi-finals, they already played very serious football.
On the expansion of the finals to 24 teams
It's much more interesting and, you know, you see Georgia, you see Slovenia. You see some countries that might not qualify for the EURO if it was 16 teams only, and they deserve to be here. You see that everybody can beat everyone.
It's great. And also, you know, these days not many things make us patriotic and proud about our countries, and you see that I get goose bumps even when I hear other national anthems.
If I hear mine, I get a bit more emotional, but it's great that you see football can unite people in a world where there are a lot of islands, a lot of tensions. We are living in difficult times. So, this is a relief for all of us.
On inclusion at EURO 2024
It's hugely important, and the important thing is that we also send a message to people, but also to politicians who don't exactly try to unite us, that events like this should be unifying and that we as Europe should stick together, should show some kind of European spirit, which I don't see much of in our society [today]. So, football is much more than just a sport.
On the role of UEFA president
I understand that if you are in a position like this, it's always your fault, and I know that. I knew that when I came. Whenever something is wrong and it's connected to UEFA, it's whoever is responsible plus me [who is to blame]. But I think we have to deal with that. And I do deal with that – I don't run away from this responsibility.
On remaining neutral as president
I don't have a special club that I support, but I'm absolutely dying inside when Slovenia are playing. I cannot show it because I have to be neutral, but I have to say that after the match between Slovenia and Portugal, I didn't sleep for more than an hour.
If I'm at home, yes [I celebrate]. If I'm in the [stands], I can't. I didn't do it even when I was the president of the [Slovenian] federation because I think you should show respect to the other president who is sad. So, I tried to control myself, but it's not easy. It doesn't mean I don't suffer.
On how UEFA has changed since its inception
When they came to an idea to make an association of European football associations, it was a tiny thing. They didn't even think it would become so huge.
They started with five people working at UEFA and now it's close to 800 and the revenue is close to $7bn per year. So, it's a huge, huge thing that developed. [Of that revenue], 97% goes back into football, so we spend less for our functioning than any NGO in the world.
People don't know that. They say, "Ah, it's all about money." That's fine – I would like to have $20bn if we redistribute it. And why is football so strong? OK, it's football, it's different. But it's so strong because, first, everybody can qualify – we don't have closed leagues – and because we develop football everywhere.
Every single federation gets so much money that they can develop youth football. You have to know that these tournaments [like the EURO] are profitable. All the youth and women's tournaments make a loss, but we call it investment because it is an investment. It's not a loss if you invest in football that doesn't bring revenues.
On the growth of women's football
It's [growing] every year. I think it will become profitable very soon; it's hard to say when. The thing is, broadcasters and sponsors should understand two things: one is that it's good to invest in women's football because you invest in a product when it's not [too] expensive yet.
And, second, they speak about equality – many people speak about equality a lot – but when you have to pay, then they don't want to pay. We are pushing a lot and it's getting more and more interesting, and [both] the Champions League finals last year were sold out. So, I am very optimistic.
On the increasing physical demands on players
We've reached the ceiling, I think. But I think the problem is that all the stakeholders should speak about it.
In England, for example, you have two [domestic] cups and nobody wants to hear that you [maybe] have only one cup. There is a new Club World Cup after the season – five weeks. I don't know how this will end up.
I think all the stakeholders should sit and see what to do. But I can say, for UEFA's competitions, that we will not do anything – any more matches. That will stay as it is, at least [while] I'm here.