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Ceferin and Van Praag square off for UEFA presidency amid Champions League turmoil

A permanent successor to Michel Platini will be announced in Athens this week with both candidates facing the wrath of smaller associations upset at Champions League reform

UEFA's 55 member nations will elect a new president at the special congress on Wednesday in Athens. The little-known Slovenian lawyer Alexander Ceferin is the favorite to get the job. He is up against UEFA veteran Michael Van Praag to replace the scandal-ridden Michel Platini, whose tenure ended in disgrace after being banned by FIFA's ethics committee for unethical conduct.

Ceferin has been president of the Slovenian football association for the past five years and, despite his relatively low profile, he has assembled a formidable coalition of votes for Wednesday.