Espelund, Hardouin looking to become 1st elected female UEFA execs

(Darko Bandic/AP)

NYON, Switzerland — UEFA says there are two candidates to be the first elected female member of its executive committee.

Karen Espelund, who was co-opted to the panel in 2012, is being challenged by Florence Hardouin, the French soccer federation’s marketing director.

Espelund played for Norway player before working as the national federation’s general secretary.

UEFA says the winner of the May 3 election will serve a three-year mandate until executive elections in 2019. The vote will be at UEFA’s annual congress, being held in Budapest, Hungary.

Next year, UEFA should also elect a female delegate to the FIFA Council. The rebranded FIFA executive committee is being expanded as part of anti-corruption reforms and should have at least one female member from each of the six confederations.

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