Aleksander Ceferin said Thursday he would not seek a fourth term as UEFA president in 2027 despite the approval of controversial reforms that would enable him to extend his mandate.

“I decided around six months ago that I’m not planning to run in 2027 anymore,” the 56-year-old Slovenian lawyer said at a press conference following the UEFA Congress in Paris.

“The reason is that after some time, every organisation needs fresh blood, but mainly because I was away from my family for seven years now.”

Ceferin’s surprise announcement came shortly after UEFA member nations voted overwhelmingly in favour of a series of statute amendments, including a measure that would have allowed Ceferin to potentially stay in his role until 2031.

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