Aleksander Ceferin revealed his preference for River Plate as his favorite Argentine team after playing informal matches at the club's stadium against the coach and team. The UEFA president said this in an interview where he also criticized Gianni Infantino's projects, including the Club World Cup and the expansion of the World Cup.
What did Ceferin say about his link with River Plate?
The Slovenian official explained that his affinity for the club began after meeting River Plate's president, whom he described as a gentleman and very pleasant. During Rodolfo D'Onofrio's presidency and Stefano Di Carlo's tenure as general secretary, Ceferin played friendly matches at the Monumental with club legends and Marcelo Gallardo.
In those encounters, he scored goals against a South American combined team of former players and CONMEBOL officials. Ceferin highlighted that this experience led him to publicly declare that, if asked about his favorite Argentine team, his answer is River Plate.
How did his connection with Argentina begin?
His approach to the country started much earlier, during his time leading the Slovenian Football Federation, when he organized the friendly match between Slovenia and Argentina en route to the 2014 Brazil World Cup. That trip brought him into contact with the Slovenian community in Argentina and allowed him to visit stadiums like the Monumental and La Bombonera.
Interestingly, Boca Juniors' stadium was designed by Slovenian Viktor Sulčič, and years later his disciple Tomaž Camernik proposed a renovation project for the same venue, something Ceferin learned about during his visits.
What does he think of Gianni Infantino and FIFA?
Ceferin has been critical of Gianni Infantino's projects, especially the World Cup expansion to more teams, the Club World Cup, and selling rights to private investors. Although he was once speculated as a potential FIFA president candidate, he publicly ruled it out.
In the 'Rest is Politics' podcast, he said: "I am not interested for two reasons.". At 58, he believes Infantino could lose support after ten years in office or face a rival in upcoming elections.
What does he think of South American football and the Libertadores?
During a meeting with Alejandro Domínguez, CONMEBOL president, Ceferin was surprised by the official's comments, who described Copa Libertadores football as "real football" in contrast to the Champions League, which he called a "PlayStation". The European leader called those statements bold.
He also questioned the structure of the Argentine Primera División, stating that having 30 teams is excessive: "More than 20 teams in any league worldwide is too many", reflecting his preference for more compact competitions.
How much does he currently earn as UEFA president?
When he took office a decade ago, his annual salary was approximately $1.5 million. Today, he earns double that as UEFA president, plus an unspecified additional amount for his role as FIFA vice president.
River Plate currently sits 14th in the Liga Profesional Argentina with 4 points from 1 win, 1 draw, and 4 losses in 6 matches, with a goal difference of -2 after scoring 4 and conceding 6. The team drew 2-2 with Vélez Sarsfield on August 23 and has an upcoming away match against Banfield on August 30. In the last four games, the side has recorded 2 wins and 2 draws, remaining unbeaten in that span, a contrast to the difficult start to the season. Fans can check the full schedule on our fixtures page to follow the team's progress in the coming weeks.
