UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has claimed the organisation was a "bit tainted" before he took over ©Getty Images

UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has claimed the organisation was a "bit tainted" before he took over as he prepares to be re-elected at the governing body's Congress in Rome tomorrow.

Čeferin, who is standing unopposed in the Presidential election, told French newspaper Le Monde that European football's governing body was "more transparent" under his leadership.

The 51-year-old Slovenian lawyer was first elected at an Extraordinary UEFA Congress in Athens in 2016 and finished the term started by Frenchman Michel Platini.

He took on the remainder of Platini's four-year term after the Frenchman, who denies wrongdoing, was banned from football for a "disloyal" payment made to disgraced former FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

Čeferin believes UEFA is in a better position now but admitted it was still facing challenges, such as enforcing financial fair play rules and what he called the "competitive balance" in European football.

He has also led the opposition to FIFA President Gianni Infantino's controversial reforms to the global calendar, which includes a revamped Club World Cup and new worldwide Nations League.

Tomorrow's Congress follows an Executive Committee meeting held in the Italian capital today, where a renewed Memorandum of Understanding was signed by UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA).

The agreement, which will run through to 2024, sees the two organisations strengthen their ties amid debate about the future of the game in Europe.

It had been suggested that some of the top clubs were considering establishing a breakaway league but the MoU, signed by Čeferin and ECA chairman Andrea Agnelli, appears to end that discussion for now.

A renewed Memorandum of Understanding was signed by UEFA and the European Club Association in Rome today ©UEFA
A renewed Memorandum of Understanding was signed by UEFA and the European Club Association in Rome today ©UEFA

"I am delighted that we have reached such an agreement and that we - as Europe''s football governing body - and European clubs will continue to work closely together to further promote, develop and shape the future of football across the continent," said Čeferin.  

"I would like to thank the ECA Executive Board and its chairman Andrea Agnelli for the constructive and collaborative manner in which they have approached this memorandum of understanding for the benefit of European football as a whole."

While Čeferin is set to be re-elected by acclamation, votes for the FIFA vice-president from the British associations and for members of the ruling Executive Committee are due to take place at the Congress.

Greg Clarke, chairman of the English Football Association, will take on Irish counterpart David Martin in a head-to-head ballot to replace David Gill for the vice-presidential role, which comes with a salary of £190,000 ($246,000/€216,000) per year.

There are 10 candidates standing for seven spots on the UEFA Executive Committee, which PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaïfi is set to join despite controversy surrounding his club.

Al-Khelaïfi's appointment as a representative of the ECA has to be approved by the membership but could be met with some opposition.

Javier Tebas, President of Spain's top football league La Liga, has urged UEFA not to give him the green light.

PSG's finances are currently being investigated by UEFA, while Al-Khelaifi himself has also previously been probed for alleged financial misconduct.

Former Croatia international Davor Šuker, Sándor Csányi of Hungary, Fernando Gomes of Portugal and Bulgaria's Borislav Mihaylov are all bidding for re-election to the Executive Committee.

Elvedin Begic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan's Kairat Boranbayev, Albania's Armand Duka, Jesper Møller Christensen of Denmark, Andrii Pavelko of Ukraine and Spaniard Luis Rubiales are also in contention.

Hardouin Florence of France is almost certain to be re-elected to one of the positions on the UEFA Executive Committee reserved for women.