Aleksander Čeferin
A Slovenian lawyer now steers the turbulent ship of European football, facing down super-clubs and geopolitical storms with a steady hand.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Slovenian lawyer and football administrator·Birthday: October 13·Generation X
Biography
Aleksander Čeferin arrived at the pinnacle of European football administration from a quiet corner of the sport. A respected lawyer from Ljubljana, he first took the helm of Slovenia's football federation in 2011, where he earned a reputation for integrity and modernization. His election as UEFA president in 2016 was a surprise to many, seen as a consensus candidate who could bring calm after scandal. Čeferin has since governed through an era of extraordinary pressure, confronting the persistent threat of a European Super League breakaway, navigating the financial aftermath of a global pandemic, and managing the expulsion of Russian teams following the invasion of Ukraine. His leadership style blends a lawyer's insistence on statutes with a pragmatist's understanding that the game's future depends on balancing elite wealth with broader competitive integrity.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Aleksander was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Aleksander Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Aleksander's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Elected President of UEFA in 2016 and re-elected unanimously in 2019 and 2023.
- Spearheaded UEFA's strong legal and sporting response to the attempted launch of the European Super League in 2021.
- Oversaw the expansion of the UEFA Champions League format and the launch of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
- Led the decision to move the 2020 Champions League final and Euro 2020 matches due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Did You Know?
He is a black belt in karate and has practiced the martial art since childhood.
His father, Peter Čeferin, was a respected judge and law professor in Slovenia.
Before his football career, he ran his own law firm specializing in commercial and sports law.
He speaks Slovenian, English, Serbian, Croatian, and Italian.
“We must never forget that football is for everyone. It belongs to all of us.”
