Despite a law allowing him to do so, Aleksander Ceferin, the chairman of UEFA, the organisation that oversees European football, announced on Thursday that he will not run for reelection in 2027 due to family obligations.

Since succeeding Michel Platini in 2016, Ceferin has been in office. He assisted in introducing the 12-year presidential term restriction, which he was re-elected for a second term in 2019 and a third term last year.

The first half term that Ceferin served after former France midfielder Platini resigned due to a FIFA ban for ethics violations would not have been counted towards the three-year limit if Article 69 had been amended.

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“The reason is that after some time every organisation needs fresh blood, but mainly because I was away from my family for seven years now and I will be away from them for another three years,” the 56-year-old Slovenian told reporters after a UEFA congress in Paris.

“My family knew it first and then I told just some of my friends and colleagues,” Ceferin added.

“I didn’t want to influence the Congress, I wanted them to decide not knowing what I am telling you today, because that’s an honest decision.”

The English Football Association, which had previously attempted to have a separate vote on the amendment rather than voting on all of the amendments together, was the only member to vote against the proposal at the Congress.

Only Iceland and Norway voted with the English FA, indicating that the move was a failure.

Zvonimir Boban, the chief football officer of UEFA, resigned from the organisation last month in protest at Ceferin’s decision to back revisions to the laws that would have extended his term in office.