Soccer Legend Boban Rejects UEFA Presidency

Soccer great Zvonimir Boban has declined interest in the UEFA presidency, advocating for a leader with genuine football experience. Citing dissatisfaction with current legal changes that extend presidential terms, Boban criticized the technocratic leadership of UEFA and FIFA, emphasizing the need for a football-centric approach.

Soccer great Zvonimir Boban has announced he has no interest in pursuing the presidency of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). On Thursday, he expressed that UEFA needed a 'real football man,' implying criticism of the organization's current technocratic leadership.

Boban, who resigned as UEFA's chief of football in January, protested against President Aleksander Ceferin's moves to change legal statutes, enabling him to extend his term in office. Ceferin and his allies have dismissed Boban's statements as positioning for a future presidential bid—a claim Boban vehemently denied.

'I don't have any interest, but a real football man in UEFA is really needed,' Boban told Gazzetta dello Sport. Boban, who once held a senior role at FIFA, resigned, citing his 'total disapproval' of the legal maneuvering that would allow Ceferin to potentially hold office until 2031.

(With inputs from agencies.)