UEFA: departure of Zvonimir Boban (CRO) chief of football since 2021

Zvonimir Boban, chief of football at UEFA since April 2021, is leaving the European confederation "by mutual agreement," announced UEFA on 25/01/2024.

The former Croatian international (51 caps), who spent most of his playing career at AC Milan (Serie A TIM), where he later held the position of director of football after three years at FIFA, "initiated several significant projects in technical development, including the establishment of the UEFA Football Board and the Youth Football Forum," said the European body.

The main reason for the Croatian's departure was his opposition to the wish of Aleksander Ceferin, UEFA president since 2016, to seek a new mandate by reforming the association's statutes. "Despite having expressed my deepest concern and total disapproval, the UEFA president does not consider there to be any legal issues with the proposed changes, let alone any moral or ethical ones, and he intends to move forward regardless in pursuit of his personal aspirations," said Zvonimir Boban in a letter sent to the French sports daily L'Equipe on 25/01/2024.

"I have no option but…