UEFA will elect a new president today to succeed banned Michel Platini as it attempts to make a fresh start following corruption investigations in football.
The 55 member associations of the European organising body will choose between two candidates, Aleksander Ceferin of Slovenia and Michael van Praag of the Netherlands.
The winner will complete Platini’s third four-year presidential term, which expires in March 2019.
Controversially, former France international Platini will address the extraordinary congress despite his four-year ban from football.
UEFA said the ethics committee of world governing body FIFA had allowed Platini to address delegates.
A spokesman for FIFA’s ethics committee, Marc Tenbucken, told Press Association Sport: “UEFA formally asked the adjudicatory chamber of the independent ethics committee for an exception for Michel Platini to be able to make a short farewell address to its congress in Athens.
“The chairman of the adjudicatory chamber, Mr Hans-Joachim Eckert, granted this exception as a gesture of humanity.”
Both candidates to succeed Platini have promised to improve transparency and governance following the corruption scandals which have affected world governing body FIFA and continental confederations.
Ceferin, head of the Slovenia football federation, is being seen as the favourite after garnering the support of Germany, Russia, France and Portugal among others.
He has told reporters he believes he has the support of 32 associations – enough for the required majority of votes.
England and Belgium are meanwhile among the associations backing Van Praag.
English Football Association vice-chairman David Gill said last week Van Praag would bring “dignity and integrity” to the job.
“Van Praag is also the right choice to bring all aspects of the European game closer together, particularly with his knowledge of club football, and will be able to foster close ties with other confederations,” he said.
The German federation (DFB) meanwhile has cited Ceferin’s programme to extend dialogue between national associations, leagues and clubs and to take greater consideration of their interests.
DFB president Reinhard Grindel said Tuesday that Germany’s bid to host Euro 2024 played no role in its support for the Slovenian, who has until now been somewhat of an unknown quantity.
Ceferin has said he favours a single host for Euro 2024 following the pan-European 2020 edition, in comments which could bolster Germany’s bid.
Nordic countries Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland were also planning a joint bid for the 2024 tournament.
Grindel told dpa he had spoken to both Ceferin and Van Praag about Germany’s Euro plans, saying this was “legitimate” but that no agreements had been made.
“Of course I have shown the two candidates why we can offer a strong bid for the 2024 European Championships, and I have expressed (the view) that we would appreciate it if our candidature is supported,” he said.
“It is important that we do not have any new personnel discussions in the coming years,” he added in a reference to the ages of the two candidates.
Ceferin is at 48, 20 years younger than Van Praag.
Owing to the UEFA age limit rule of 70, the Dutchman could not stand for re-election in 2019.
Grindel is also one of the administrators who criticised the decision to grant Platini permission to speak at the congress.
Platini was banned from football in connection with a disloyal payment of some 2 million Swiss francs (2 million dollars) he received from then FIFA president Joseph Blatter in 2011 for work done as a FIFA presidential adviser a decade earlier.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who as UEFA’s former secretary general was Platini’s right-hand man, will be attending the congress as guest.
In the run-up to the vote, Infantino dismissed reports in Dutch and Norwegian media that one of his FIFA advisers had lobbied for Ceferin.