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Slovenian FA Boss Aleksander Ceferin Elected New President Of UEFA

Ceferin will now take over for the remaining two and a half years of Michel Platini’s original term, after beating Dutchman Michael van Praag.
Big Brother is watching you, David Gill // PA Images

Aleksander Ceferin, head of the Slovenian FA, has been chosen to replace Michel Platini as the new president of UEFA.

Platini vacated the president's role in May after failing to overturn his four-year ban from football, handed out on account of ethics violations and an improper payment he received from Sepp Blatter's FIFA. The battle to replace him has now been won, with Ceferin beating Michael van Praag, head of the Dutch FA, by 42 votes to 13.

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Ceferin is a lawyer who has previously worked representing professional athletes and sports clubs in Slovenia. The 48-year-old will now take over for the remaining two and a half years of Platini's original term, which runs until 2019.

After the result was confirmed, Ceferin said: "It is a great honour, but also a great responsibility. It means a lot to me.

"My small and beautiful Slovenia is very proud of it, and I hope that one day you will also be proud of me."

The BBC reports that Van Praag was magnanimous in defeat, saying: "Aleksander and I have the same goal.

"We want a different UEFA, we want a better UEFA, but he wanted to do it his way and I wanted to do it my way."

The English FA gave its backing to Van Praag.