At a recent appearance at THE FORUM, a high-profile event hosted by Atlético Madrid and Apollo Sports Capital, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin delivered a powerful message about the future of football. Speaking from the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, he called for unity and responsibility across the sport, emphasizing that clubs, leagues, and players' unions must work together as partners in the same ecosystem. "We are all associates, we are all partners," Čeferin stated, praising leaders like Miguel Ángel Gil and Nasser Al-Khelaïfi for their collaborative spirit. "We have the same goal — we want football to flourish, to become better."
On the hot topic of fixture congestion, Čeferin was blunt: the current system has reached its breaking point. "We're at the top. We can't play any harder," he warned, acknowledging that while some stakeholders hold "selfish perspectives," the only path forward requires the entire football community to unite. "A decision is possible if the entire ecosystem comes together and we try to reach a solution," he added, signaling that compromise is essential for the sport's health.
The UEFA chief also touched on the ongoing debates around refereeing, noting that complaints are always one-sided. "Club presidents never call me to say a penalty awarded to them wasn't fair — it's always the ones against them," he said with a hint of irony. UEFA's focus, he explained, is on ensuring referees make clear, quick decisions on the field, trusting their authority in the heat of the game.
Beyond the boardroom, Čeferin highlighted the transformative power of football through social initiatives, particularly the work of the UEFA Foundation. "This is one of my greatest passions," he shared, recounting a visit to the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, home to 80,000 people. "It's striking to see children who lost their parents in Syria, who have such a hard life. But when they're in the camp, they start to smile." For Čeferin, these moments remind us that football is more than a game — it's a force for good that can inspire hope even in the toughest circumstances.