Outgoing ManU CEO DAVID GILL was appointed to the UEFA exec committee Friday "after one of his rivals withdrew from the race," according to Ben Rumsby of the London TELEGRAPH. Gill "spent months campaigning" as one of nine candidates for eight places up for grabs on the 17-strong exec committee. However, his appointment became a formality after Portugal’s FERNANDO GOMES "formally pulled out" ahead of UEFA’s congress in London Friday morning. Gill replaces FA VP GEOFF THOMPSON, ensuring England’s representation on the exec committee for another four years (TELEGRAPH, 5/24). In London, Ashling O'Connor reported Gill is "backing a bid" by the FA to bring the Euro 2020 semifinals and final to London's Wembley stadium. Gill said that he "would help to drive the FA’s bid for the most prestigious games of a pan-European tournament that will have matches staged in 12 countries." The Champions League final at Wembley provided "the perfect showcase." Gill: "It’s one of the largest stadiums in world football, so without doubt I am sure England will put forward a very strong bid -- which will be Wembley clearly -- to be involved with those finals in seven years’ time" (LONDON TIMES, 5/25).
