Aleksander Ceferin
Slovenian lawyer serving as UEFA president since 2016, who threatened to strip Italy of Euro 2032 co-hosting rights.
Last refreshed: 5 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Will Italian stadiums meet UEFA's October 2026 deadline to keep Euro 2032?
Latest on Aleksander Ceferin
- Why did Ceferin threaten to strip Italy of Euro 2032?
- Ceferin warned Italy's stadiums are among the worst in Europe. Italy last hosted a major tournament in 1990, and only Juventus's Allianz Stadium is currently fully ready. Italy must name five host stadiums by October 2026 or risk losing co-hosting rights.Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport
- When does Aleksander Ceferin's term as UEFA president end?
- Ceferin was re-elected in April 2023. His current term runs until December 2027.Source: UEFA
- What is Euro 2032 and which countries are hosting it?
- Euro 2032 is the UEFA European Championship scheduled for summer 2032, co-hosted by Italy and Turkey. Italy's co-hosting status is under threat due to inadequate stadium infrastructure.Source: UEFA
- Who is UEFA president in 2026?
- Aleksander Ceferin, a Slovenian lawyer, has been UEFA president since September 2016. He was re-elected in 2023 for a term running to December 2027.Source: UEFA
Background
Aleksander Ceferin issued a stark warning to Italian football in April 2026, threatening to remove Italy as co-host of Euro 2032 unless its stadium infrastructure was urgently upgraded. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, he said: "If that's not the case, the tournament will not be held in Italy." His warning came immediately after Italy's third consecutive World Cup absence, compounding the governance crisis triggered by the resignations of FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and coach Gennaro Gattuso. Italy must name five host stadiums to UEFA by October 2026, with 11 cities still candidates.
Ceferin, born on 13 October 1967 in Ljubljana, is a Slovenian lawyer who became UEFA's seventh president in September 2016, defeating Dutch candidate Michael van Praag by 42 votes to 13 at the UEFA Congress in Athens. He previously served as president of the Football Association of Slovenia from 2011 to 2016. Re-elected in April 2023, his term runs until December 2027. A 4th Dan black belt in Shotokan karate, he is also known for blocking the 2021 European Super League proposal and for overseeing UEFA's management of European club competition through the Covid-19 disruption.
Italy's infrastructure problem is substantial: the country last hosted a major international tournament in 1990, and only Juventus's Allianz Stadium in Turin is currently deemed fully ready for Euro 2032. Ceferin's threat therefore carries real weight, not merely political pressure. The ultimatum arrives at a moment of maximum institutional vulnerability in Italian football, raising the stakes for whoever succeeds Gravina as FIGC president and must negotiate with UEFA on both the stadium timeline and Italy's broader football governance reforms.
