Aivar Pohlak appointed to top UEFA position

President of the Estonian Football Association (EJL) Aivar Pohlak has been elected to the UEFA Executive Committee, the first Estonian to do so.
Pohlak was one of seven candidates out of 11 elected at a congress in Belgrade, Serbia, for a four-year term.
He received votes from 37 of the 55 member countries.
"Strangely enough, when I counted again last night, I got exactly that same number – 37. Interestingly, I got exactly what I thought I would get," Pohlak told ERR after the vote.
Regarding his new position, Pohlak said: "When you're close to the management of international organizations, you can bring in the dimensions and operational logic that the association itself works within. Applying such principles is also beneficial for your own association. You can move in step with the international organization, but you also understand better where there are opportunities to develop local football."
Pohlak is also running for re-election as president of the EJL, a position he has held since 2007, though former Liverpool FC defender Ragnar Klavan is running against him in June.
"If I am not elected president of the Estonian Football Association, the board or the new president has the right to recall me," Pohlak commented.
The UEFA Executive Committee, composed of 20 members, is the governing body of European football, responsible for the sport's development and key decisions concerning European football.
Pohlak had served as vice-chairman of the UEFA Youth and Amateur Football Committee since 2007, and has been a member of the UEFA Strategy Management Committee since 2023.
Also elected to the Executive Committee were Frank Paauw (Netherlands), Gabriele Gravina (Italy), Hans-Joachim Watzke (Germany), Marijan Kustic (Croatia), Ari Lahti (Finland), and Armen Melikbekyan (Armenia).

Another issue facing UEFA and FIFA is when teams from aggressor nations, such as Russia and Belarus, might be readmitted.
Present in Belgrade, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said he hopes to soon see Russia back in major football, which would also mean the war in Ukraine had ended.
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said much the same thing.
On this, Pohlak said: "As far as I know, these matters haven't been discussed further within UEFA. I think this is not something to deal with right now."
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Editor: Henrik Laever, Anders Nõmm, Andrew Whyte