NYON, Switzerland — Contenders from Slovenia, the Netherlands and Spain have entered the UEFA presidential contest to replace the banned Michel Platini.
UEFA confirmed the three national federation presidents on Friday: Aleksander Ceferin, Michael van Praag, and Angel Maria Villar.
All must pass an integrity check to be accepted as a candidate for a job which includes the role of FIFA vice-president.
UEFA’s 55 member federations will vote on Sept. 14 in Athens.
Van Praag and Villar are currently UEFA vice-presidents, and Ceferin is a relative newcomer to European football politics.
Van Praag stood against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency last year, then withdrew days before the vote.
Villar, who already is a FIFA vice-president, has been a member of FIFA’s ruling committee for 18 years and leader of Spanish football for 28 years.
The winner will complete Platini’s third four-year presidential term which expires in early 2019.
A four-nation group of Nordic federations, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, said in June it would support Ceferin. The group also wants to co-host the 2024 European Championship.
UEFA should make that hosting decision during the current presidential term.
In a separate election due Sept. 14, there are two contenders for the UEFA position of a women’s delegate to the FIFA ruling council.
Evelina Christillin of Italy and Laura McAllister will also be subject to a FIFA eligibility check, UEFA said.
