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UEFA President's Congress delight

UEFA President Michel Platini has spoken of his delight at being re-elected for a third term at the UEFA Congress and welcomed another ex-player onto the UEFA Executive Committee.

The UEFA XXXIX Ordinary Congress press conference
The UEFA XXXIX Ordinary Congress press conference ©Getty Images for UEFA

UEFA President Michel Platini has spoken of his delight at being re-elected for a third term at the XXXIX Ordinary UEFA Congress in Vienna.

Mr Platini addressed a variety of subjects during a media conference on Tuesday, including the emerging pattern of former footballers working in prominent positions in the administration of the sport, after Croatian Football Federation (HNS) president Davor Šuker was elected onto the UEFA Executive Committee.

"I am a happy man," said Mr Platini. "I'm a man who knows what it means to be the head of an organisation that is functioning well, to be the head of a football that is the best in the world, to be the head of the competitions that are the best in the world, to be the head of players who are playing in the best competitions in the world.

"So of course, I have the smile of a happy President, I am part of a game that I love, my favourite game, a game that has brought me a lot of satisfaction. And I'm part of a mission where I can give back, doing it first for the best interests of the game."

A UEFA Champions League winner with Real Madrid CF in 1997/98, Davor Šuker brings added knowledge acquired on the pitch to the UEFA Executive Committee.

"The nomination of Mr Šuker is an important thing," added Mr Platini. "There have been nominations of famous former players in national associations such as Mr [Zbigniew] Boniek and Mr [Dejan] Savićević among others. All of them have the ambition to go one step further and add their own experience of European football.

"It's an interesting and important trend and I think it is one that suits the current period of time. But I want to remind you that Mr Villar Llona, who was elected 25 years ago, is an ex-international player so [today's election] was not the first and it will certainly not be the last."