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It was four in the morning on a day in early March when Aleksander Ceferin (Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1967) was finally able to close his eyes and sleep. He had just made the decision not to host the Euro Cup this year and postponed it to 2021. The evolution of the coronavirus pandemic was practically just beginning. For the UEFA president, the decisions are not over. On the future of football in these difficult times and on Spain he dialogues with EL MUNDO.

Are you able to sleep better than a few weeks ago? I don't know ... I sleep better, but I could sleep better. Not perfect yet. Are you still very concerned about the effects of the coronavirus crisis on European football? How would you describe the situation? There is a lot of work to do. The situation of UEFA is not alarming, we are not in a dangerous situation, although we continue to deal with what happens to clubs and Leagues. You were a soldier in 1986 in the former Yugoslavia and then in 1991 in the war of independence from Slovenia. How much do these experiences influence this crisis? That is why I am not afraid (laughs) .Would you bet a million euros that Euro 2020 will be played in 2021? Yes, I would ... I do not know why it would not be play. I don't think the virus lasts forever. Where do you get that impression? That the situation is serious, but it is improving and we are more cautious. We know more about the virus and in principle I am optimistic. I do not like the apocalyptic visions that we have to wait for the second wave, the third, the fifth ... People we know will die someday. But do we have to be worried today? Do we have to be afraid today? I do not think so. We are ready and we will follow the recommendations of the health authorities. I am absolutely sure, personally, that good old football with spectators will return very soon. What about the Champions League? Can the pandemic prevent its dispute? I mean, I think it will, but ... what do I know? And what happens if the 2026 World Cup in the USA cannot be held? We never know what can happen, but the facts are that things are calming down, the German League started last week, the Spanish will return soon, the Portuguese even earlier and 80% of the European championships will be played. I see no reason to believe that the Champions League and the Europa League will not be held in August. I am always optimistic, because pessimism kills you. Let's talk about the future. What do you think of the possible new Club World Cup with 24 teams promoted by Gianni Infantino [FIFA President]? He said long ago that this could amount to the death of football, what he meant is that he is considering it in such a way that it seems that an investment fund would buy the competition, that the entire World Cup would be for sale. We don't have much information and, to be honest, I don't know which way the idea is going now. Not even when the tournament should be played, so there is nothing to worry about right now. In this theoretical "new world" to come, will you maintain your toughness towards the clubs in regards to Financial Fair Play? If the clubs don't follow the rules will always be sanctioned, but of course we are thinking of improving our regulations. We are looking at some kind of "luxury tax" if possible for the wealthier clubs. So there are many ideas, but trust me, we have stopped thinking in these difficult times about changes that may happen in the future. We must now steer our ship in the right direction, and we are close to doing so. Then when things settle down, we'll go back to the old issues. Would you like to be President of FIFA? No. I love my job and UEFA is a great organization. Here it is about football on a day-to-day basis, not so much politics, and that is somewhat more akin to me. When the coronavirus crisis began, Infantino said that it was time to reorganize and reduce football. Do you agree? I don't know. I tried to understand what he meant by that. It is strange that on the one hand you say you want to reduce football and on the other you propose a new competition, the Club World Cup. Is that cutting down on competitions? It doesn't seem like ... Did you have a chance to discuss it with Infantino? No, I didn't, we didn't discuss things much, to be honest. We have not talked much now during the coronavirus crisis, but when the time comes we will discuss it. I don't want to discuss or debate the issue with him in the media. Barcelona, ​​the world club that pays the footballers the most, had to drastically reduce wages due to the pandemic. Others did too. Do you think players should be a little less greedy right now? And what about the more reasonable clubs with their expenses? I don't think the players are greedy. The market decides the prices, and if you or I received an offer to pay us 20 million a season, I don't think you or I would say, 'No, no, no, no; I don't want to be greedy, give me 200,000 ». Soccer players also generate a lot of income and soccer is a large industry that pays a large amount of taxes to the States. I don't think the right word is greed or that clubs need to be wiser because it's just the market that decides how prices move. Do you still want to create that third European competition after the Europa League or with this new situation have you changed your mind? We will, we will, yes, yes, absolutely. In 2021, what do you think of the situation of the Spanish King's Cup final? Athletic and Real Sociedad decided to postpone it to an uncertain date until they can play it with spectators. It is their solution and for me it is fine, but the fact is that no team in the Cup final will qualify for the European competition, because the Cup will be played after the European competition deadline.

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