Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA President, stated that the human suffering resulting from Israel’s war in Gaza has deeply affected him, but in his view, footballers and teams should not be punished with effective bans for conflicts led by national leaders, Politico EU reported.

In an interview with POLITICO, he criticized “reckless politicians” who contribute to the “slaughter” of children worldwide and defended the banner “Stop Killing Children,” recently displayed by UEFA, which drew criticism from both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups.

“What is happening to civilians there pains me personally,” Čeferin said about Gaza. “I do not support bans for athletes—what can a footballer do to stop a war? It’s very difficult.” He recalled that UEFA banned Russian clubs and national teams from European competitions after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, yet the war has not stopped.

Čeferin emphasized that UEFA’s banner has a humanitarian, not political, purpose. “Anyone who thinks ‘Stop Killing Children, Stop Killing Civilians’ is a political message is, in my opinion, an idiot,” he said, recalling a severely injured child from Gaza who lost their parents.

He argued that the criticism of UEFA is an example of a world burdened by populism and extremism on both political sides, as well as an inability to openly discuss sensitive issues. “Children do not vote, they do not support politicians, and they should not pay for wars,” he added.

Čeferin dismissed concerns regarding holding next year’s Champions League final in Budapest, stating that UEFA will not award tournaments only to countries that follow “mainstream” political lines.

He acknowledged that relations with FIFA, led by Gianni Infantino, are more positive than portrayed, and briefly clarified tensions from May related to Infantino’s late arrival in Paraguay.

Čeferin also declined to discuss holding European matches outside Europe and did not rule out the possibility of running for another term as UEFA President in 2027, or even entering politics in Slovenia after football.

“In life, every ‘no’ is a way to tempt the future,” he said. | BGNES