The XXXIX Ordinary UEFA Congress was held on Tuesday in Vienna, and the current president Michel Platini of France was re-elected by acclamation for another four-year term.

Elections for the UEFA Executive Committee were also held, and one of the candidates was Croatia Football Federation president Davor Šuker, a former Croatian international.

foto: Drago Sopta/HNS

In a major success of Croatian football, Šuker was elected in the first ballot with 34 votes, giving him a four-year term at UEFA's executive body deciding on the most important issues of European football. Šuker is the first Croatian in the UEFA Executive Committee.

Šuker joined president Platini (France), Angel Maria Villar (Spain), Borislav Mihaylov (Bulgaria), Fernando Gomes (Portugal), Sandor Csanyi (Hungary), Peter Gillieron (Switzerland), and Grigoriy  Surkis (Ukraine).

foto: Drago Sopta/HNS

Croatian membership in UEFA Executive Committee is the peak of HNS efforts considering the work in UEFA bodies.

Šuker's success is also the result of an excellent campaign, which encompassed the programme presentations in European football federation and meetings with their presidents.

A former player who experienced different leagues, Šuker will know how to protect players' needs, and simultaneously take care of clubs', leagues' and federations' interests.

foto: Drago Sopta/HNS

HNS president promised an equal approach to all federations and a sincere dialogue with everyone in football, emphasizing the need to protect football from any danger such as racism, violence, doping and threats to competition integrity.