New UEFA president to be elected in September in Athens

UEFA will elect a president in September to replace Michel Platini, who was banned by FIFA for accepting a $2 million payment approved by Sepp Blatter.

Several UEFA executive committee members, including Wolfgang Niersbach and Allan Hansen, say the 55 national federations will vote at a Sept. 13-14 meeting in Athens, Greece.

The new president will complete Platini's term, which runs through March 2019, and become a FIFA vice president.

Officials interested in seeking the job include UEFA vice presidents Angel Maria Villar of Spain and Michael van Praag of the Netherlands, and Slovenian federation president Aleksander Ceferin.

UEFA has been without a president since Platini was suspended by the FIFA ethics committee in October. The Court of Arbitration for Sport imposed a reduced four-year ban on Platini this month.

[AP]