Darmanin Demajo misses out on UEFA EXCO post

MFA President Norman Darmanin Demajo failed to get elected to the post of member in the UEFA Executive Committee during the XXXV Ordinary UEFA Congress which was held in Paris on Tuesday.

?enes Erzik (Turkey), Grigoriy Surkis (Ukraine), Ángel María Villar Llona (Spain) and Mircea Sandu (Romania) were confirmed to the post and were joined by three newcomers, namely Peter Gilliéron (Switzerland), Sergey Fursenko (Russia) and Borislav Mihaylov (Bulgaria).

Executive Committee
Elected following a first ballot:
Ángel María Villar Llona (Spain) 47 votes
?enes Erzik (Turkey) 42 votes
Peter Gilliéron (Switzerland) 40 votes
Grigoriy Surkis (Ukraine) 38 votes
Borislav Mihaylov (Bulgaria) 28 votes
Sergey Fursenko (Russia) 27 votes

Elected following a second ballot:
Mircea Sandu (Romania) 15 votes

Darmanin Demajo obtained six votes in the first ballot and one in the second.

UEFA president Michel Platini was re-elected unopposed for a second four-year term.

Malta was represented in the UEFA EXCO by former MFA President Dr Joe Mifsud since 1994. For the past two years, Dr Mifsud has also served as one of the five UEFA vice-presidents.

Honorary UEFA membership was awarded at the Paris Congress to Dr Mifsud and former FIGC president Antonio Mattarese for their long and meritorious services to European football.

Platini thanked Dr Mifsud for the services rendered to European football, describing him as a knowledgeable person in all aspects of football who had served UEFA for seventeen years as EXCO member, two years as UEFA vice-president, two years as member of FIFA Executive Committee, ten years on the UEFA Appeals Body and two years as Stadium Security Committee.

Platini said that Dr Mifsud is well-known for defending smaller countries and European football in general.

Dr Mifsud, on the other hand, thanked the European body for honouring him. He said that being a member of the UEFA for seventeen years was a great honour for him and that he served for such a long period thanks to the respect shown from national associations.

The former MFA President said he will miss being part of the UEFA EXCO but is glad that over these years, he had carried out his duties honouraby, conscientiously and to the best of his ability.

Dr Mifsud said that he saw UEFA develop under the presidencies of both Lennard Johannson and Michel Platini – a period during which UEFA made big strides. He pointed out that when he was elected MFA president in 1992, national associations received nothing but now they are receiving millions of euro from both UEFA and FIFA. Something which is helping in the development of football.

He concluded by saying that hopefully UEFA will continue going in this direction for the benefit of the national associations and European football. Dr Mifsud finally thanked national associations for their co-operation over the years.