On Thursday, Ukraine’s Andrii Shevchenko, a famed soccer figure, failed to secure a position on the UEFA executive committee, the very day Russia officially relinquished its spot on the European soccer governing board. Shevchenko, renowned for his career with AC Milan and as a 2004 Ballon d’Or recipient, surprisingly garnered only 15 votes from the 55 national federations. This was notably low for such a distinguished nominee aiming for one of two vacant seats on the UEFA board until 2027.
These two positions were previously occupied by representatives from Ukraine and Spain—Andrii Pavelko, Shevchenko’s predecessor in leading Ukraine’s national federation, and the former UEFA vice president Luis Rubiales from Spain. While Spain managed to maintain its hold through Rafael Louzán’s 32 votes, Ukraine’s slot was taken by Israel, with federation president Moshe Zuares securing 31 votes.
During the 2024 UEFA Congress in Paris, Ukraine was among a minority of member federations that did not fully endorse a decision to allow UEFA President Aleksander ?eferin to extend his presidency until 2027. When questioned about his previous commitment to step down in 2027 after 11 years at the helm, ?eferin demurred, saying, “It’s not the time to speak about that.”
Russia’s exclusion from the 22-member UEFA executive committee was solidified as Alexander Dyukov, its top soccer official and CEO of Gazprom Neft, opted not to run for re-election. A significant topic for UEFA is determining how and when to reintegrate Russian teams into international competitions, such as the World Cup and Champions League, lifting a ban enacted shortly after Russia’s military incursion into Ukraine in February 2022.
In 2022, UEFA and FIFA successfully convinced the Court of Arbitration for Sport that allowing Russian participation would cause disruption, as several European nations had refused to face Russian teams. “When the war stops, they (Russia) will be readmitted,” reiterated ?eferin, affirming UEFA’s stance on the matter. Attempts in 2023 to reinstate Russian under-17 teams had previously caused divisions within UEFA’s board.
Ahead of the voting procedures, FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed hope in his keynote address that Russia’s return to international soccer would soon reflect peace. A different set of elections also saw candidates from Estonia and Armenia earning four-year mandates on the UEFA board.
In a move toward gender diversity, UEFA welcomed Norwegian soccer president Lise Klaveness by acclamation to a new position allocated specifically for female candidates. All committee members receive an annual taxable stipend of 160,000 euros ($178,000), with vice presidents earning 250,000 euros ($277,000), unchanged since 2017. According to UEFA’s latest financial reporting, ?eferin’s annual taxable income was 3,250,000 Swiss francs ($3.78 million), supplemented by $300,000 from FIFA as a vice president. UEFA secretary general Theodore Theodoridis’s annual package, including bonuses, totaled 1.9 million Swiss francs ($2.22 million) plus benefits.
Most of UEFA’s significant annual revenue from club tournaments is redistributed as prize money to participating teams. Additionally, proceeds from national team competitions support operational costs, provide grants to its 55 affiliated federations, and uphold reserves of around 500 million euros ($550 million).