“In my first speech to the football world as president, I said that my small Slovenia is very proud of me, and that one day I hope the football world will be proud of me as well.”
Founded in 1937, the Harbus has been the leading source of news for the Harvard Business School community for over 80 years. Between Two Classes is an interview series where we explore the diverse worldviews of the HBS community.
We’re excited to share this special edition of Between Two Classes. We had the chance to interview Aleksander Čeferin during his recent visit to Harvard Business School in November. Aleksander is the president of UEFA, one of the largest sports organizations in the world. A lawyer by training, Čeferin built his career in sports governance as the president of the Football Association of Slovenia before rising to UEFA’s top position. Known for his commitment to fair play, integrity, and the interest of football fans, he has taken strong stances on issues like Financial Fair Play and opposition to the European Super League.
Čeferin’s visit began by co-teaching a Negotiations class with Professor Thomas Graeber, where students discussed the HBS case “Aleksander Čeferin and the European Super League.” Students debated the merits of the Super League and explored the crisis management strategies Čeferin leveraged in his opposition to the League’s formation. After class, Johann Farhat, President of the HBS Soccer Club, led Čeferin on a tour of the HBS campus. Later that evening, Čeferin addressed a packed room of students in a fireside chat hosted by Farhat and Nicole Johnston, President of the Business of Sports Club. Čeferin discussed the new Champions League format, the failure of the European Super League, and the importance of fans to football culture. The chat concluded with Farhat presenting Čeferin an HBS Soccer team jersey with number twelve on the back, in recognition of his contributions to football’s “12th man,” the fans. To cap off the evening, Johnston raffled Champions League Final footballs to ten lucky students in attendance.
In what ways has your childhood impacted you?
Čeferin: I had a very happy childhood in Yugoslavia. We didn't have much material stuff, but we had each other. We were on the street all the time, playing sports all the time. Of course, we didn't have computers, and mobile phones didn't exist back then. But I had a great childhood with lots of love from my parents.
I have an older brother and a younger sister. My brother is a judge and my sister is a professor in architecture. I was the most problematic of all three. I fought with my parents a lot, but I learned a lot from them as well.
You started your career as a lawyer and now you hold an influential position in football. Many HBS students are thinking about how they can incorporate their passions into their careers. Did you get into football because of your passion for it?
Čeferin: It was quite obvious that I would become a lawyer because my father is a lawyer, my brother is a lawyer, and my grandfather was a lawyer. I was doing criminal law for twenty five years. Because of the crisis in our football federation in Slovenia, they wanted a person, a lawyer, to clean things up. Then there was a big scandal in world football, during which the president of UEFA was removed and banned. At that time, I was approached to become the next president of UEFA. It was quite shocking for me at first. But in the end, I got seventy six percent of the vote during the first election against the other candidate from Holland. And the rest is history.
I think that you should believe that everything is possible. When I was your age, if someone had told me that I could be president of UEFA, I’d first say they’re crazy. And second, I’d ask how much I’d have to pay to have that job. Now, I am well paid to do just that! Of course, not everyone will get to be president, but working in sports is certainly possible.
Professor Thomas Graeber leading class discussion on the HBS case “Aleksander Čeferin and the European Super League.”
It seems that part of the reason you were chosen to be the next UEFA president is because of your judgment and ability to make difficult decisions. Many of us at HBS aspire to be in roles that make consequential decisions. Do you have a framework for making difficult decisions?
Čeferin: For me, the most important thing is that you can look at yourself in the mirror when you wake up. Sometimes you make mistakes, sometimes you make the right decisions, sometimes you make the wrong decisions. But I am always honestly trying to do my best. With the important decisions, I try to listen to my instincts and be honest and fair. Nobody's perfect, but the most important thing is that you are honest in what you're doing.
Football is like politics with a lot of money involved, and this is very dangerous. So it’s important that you stay with your feet on the ground, stay normal. All of a sudden when you come into a position of influence like the UEFA president, everybody's taking care of you and attending to you. But it’s important to recognize that it’s because of my position, not me. You shouldn't forget that.
How would you characterize your leadership style? And how have you grown as a leader?
Čeferin: I like to have people around me who know more about a specific topic than me. I'm not afraid of people who are smart. I don’t like to speak about myself too much, but people have told me that I listen to everyone before making a decision. I got that from my father.
In terms of growth, you grow everyday. You become more mature, more experienced, and you learn from your mistakes.You learn all your life. Whoever thinks they know everything is an idiot. When I was younger, I perhaps was too explosive. I sometimes overreacted and didn’t think things over. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become much more moderate. The people that are developing in the right direction see their judgment improve year after year.
Aleksander Čeferin leading a Q&A session with HBS students following the case discussion on “Aleksander Čeferin and the European Super League.”
Have you had mentors along that journey? And if you have, what's the best piece of advice they've given you?
Čeferin: When I was a lawyer, my father was my mentor. I took every case personally, which can be tough in criminal law. One day, I asked my father, who is also a lawyer, how long I would keep taking everything so personally. He said the moment I don’t, I’m not good enough anymore.
Aleksander Čeferin’s (right) interview with Jay Bhandari (left), an Editor at the Harbus.
What do you hope your legacy is when you ultimately decide to retire? What do you want to be remembered for?
Čeferin: When I was elected as UEFA president from a tiny country, nobody was expecting it. Everybody was underestimating me. People were saying, leave him, he will get five votes out of fifty five. In the end, I got forty three. And people in my country were super proud. If you are from England or Germany, it's a big deal, but not as big of a deal as for a Slovenian to become the president of the biggest sports organization in the world. In my first speech to the football world as president, I said that my small Slovenia is very proud of me, and that one day I hope the football world will be proud of me as well.
If you hadn’t become UEFA president, what else would you be doing in an alternate universe?
Čeferin: Ideally a football player and finish my career at thirty five and enjoy life! But realistically, I would probably have been a lawyer. Criminal law is a tough job. But many members of my family are lawyers.
Johann Farhat (left) leading Aleksander Čeferin (right) on a tour of Harvard Business School.
You're going to be speaking with a lot of HBS students later today. Is there one message you hope to leave with them?
Čeferin: Although this is a business school, I hope they can recognize that football is also a passion. There’s an interview where someone asked what the most popular sport in the world is. And the interviewee said basketball. The interviewer says, “Basketball? What about football?” And the gentleman says, “Football is not a sport, it's a religion.” The difference between me and UEFA, and the guys on the other side, is that they think football is only an entertainment business where the big guys survive. For me, football is much more than that. It can still be a business – much bigger than any other sport. But I would be happy if the students understood that today, sports are much more important than dollars or euros.
Group photo following Aleksander Čeferin’s fireside chat at Harvard Business School.
Jay Bhandari (MBA ’25) is originally from Houston, Texas. He graduated from Georgetown University in 2018 with a degree in Economics. Prior to HBS, Jay served as Chief of Staff at thredUP in San Francisco, and as an Investment Associate in New York at Blackstone.
Sam Berube (MBA ’25) is originally from Dover, Massachusetts. He graduated from Brown University in 2019 with a degree in International & Comparative Political Science. Prior to HBS, Sam worked in corporate strategy at McDonald's in Chicago, and for BCG in Boston.
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