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ATHENS, Greece -- Michel Platini reluctantly handed over the reins of power in European soccer to Aleksander Ceferin, a little-known Slovenian lawyer who won the UEFA presidential election by a landslide on Wednesday.Ceferin will complete Platinis four-year term through 2019 while the disgraced former France captain returns to his FIFA-imposed exile to continue serving a four-year ban over an improper payment.Before Ceferin beat UEFA vice president Michael van Praag 42-13 in the secret ballot, Platini was given special dispensation by FIFAs ethics judge to bid farewell to European soccer leaders. Platini assured UEFA delegates he has a clear conscience over the legitimacy of the 2 million Swiss francs ($2 million) he received from FIFA in 2011 that led to his downfall four years later.After Platini was initially suspended last October by FIFA, a political vacuum opened up in European soccer that was capitalized on by the elite clubs to influence the future of the Champions League. Ceferins immediate challenge is to heal the rifts created by the secret deal, which he opposes, to increase guaranteed Champions League places for clubs from the powerful leagues of England, Spain, Germany, and Italy.The most important thing is to give that leadership back to UEFA that clearly we have not had since Michel Platini had to step down last year, UEFA vice president David Gill said.With only 2 1/2 years until having to renew his mandate, Ceferin will have little time to waste to convince UEFAs members it was right to entrust someone with only five years of experience around the governing body with its top job.Some people may have said that I am not a leader, that I am too young and too inexperienced to become the next UEFA president, said Ceferin, a father-of three from Ljubljana. Its not because you repeat again and again, loud and clear `I am a leader that you are a leader. If you have to do it you are probably not a leader.Ceferin, aged 48, said combining running a law firm in the former Yugoslav republic of Slovenia with leading the countrys soccer federation since 2011 required him to be creative, strong and inspiring.You can say that I am young and experienced but I honestly think it disrespectful for all small and medium-sized federations who, 365 days a year, have to do more with less, Ceferin said.Reinhard Grindel, the German federation president, viewed Ceferins election as a vote against the UEFA establishment, including Van Praag of the Netherlands.This big majority shows that a lot of FAs ... have a wish to get a new dynamic in UEFA from outside the executive committee, Grindel said. Michael van Praag had seven years the chance to give a lot of reform ideas in his work in the executive committee and he did not.So a lot of my colleagues think, focusing on his speech today, that it is a problem to say now `Lets start very new at zero after being part of the executive committee for seven years.Ceferin is the seventh president in the 62-year history of UEFA, which every four years organizes the European Championship -- the wealthiest competition between national teams after the World Cup. He said he speaks five languages, is a black belt in karate, and has crossed the Sahara Desert five times, four by car and once on motorbike.He will take charge at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, after a campaign clouded by accusations that he was being assisted by Gianni Infantino, the organizations general secretary before being elected FIFA president in February.Ceferins campaign emerged in May, shortly after Infantino traveled to Slovenia to open a national soccer center. Weeks later, FIFA appointed Tomaz Vesel as an independent auditor overseeing its billion-dollar annual income -- and Infantinos salary and bonuses. Vesel is also from Slovenia and plays on a veterans soccer team with Ceferin.Infantino said it was a pity critics suggested he influenced the election of one of soccers six regional confederations that sit under FIFA.This is an insult on the intelligence of all the national associations and those who are voting, Infantino said after the vote. You have seen there was a democratic process.Infantino was separated on the front row from Platini, whose self-proclaimed destiny he assumed by becoming FIFA president.Despite being banned from holding any position of power or involvement in soccer, Platini was allowed by FIFAs ethics judge to address UEFA delegates on Wednesday as a gesture of humanity.Be assured that I have a clear conscience, that Im convinced I did not make the slightest mistake, and that Im continuing the legal battle, Platini said. I want to thank everyone in this room who had the courage and loyalty to support me during the past months.---Rob Harris is at www.twitter.com/RobHarris and www.facebook.com/RobHarrisReportsAir Max Schweiz Günstig . Inter president Erick Thohir says in a club statement on Wednesday that Vidic is "one of the worlds best defenders and his qualities, international pedigree, and charisma will be an asset. Air Max Günstig Bestellen . Zvonareva, who won the tournament in 2009 and 10, couldnt handle her opponents big groundstrokes in only her third event back after 17 months out with a shoulder injury. Zvonareva made her comeback in January in Shenzhen and played in the Australian Open but lost her first matches at both tournaments. http://www.airmaxoutletschweiz.ch/ . -- Quarterback Will Finch threw for 252 yards and three touchdowns, and Yannick Harou rushed in two scores as the No. Nike Air Max Günstig Herren . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. Air Max Schweiz . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants.LAS VEGAS -- Not one player in Dukes basketball program was born when the 1991 Blue Devils pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Final Four history.So, Thursday, on a five-hour flight to Las Vegas, coach Mike Krzyzewski made his players watch footage from 25 years ago, when Duke beat UNLV 79-77 an epic upset in the national semifinals. It was revenge for the year prior, when UNLV throttled Duke 103-73 in the national championship.It was the perfect motivation that set the tone for the fifth-ranked Blue Devils, who got a career-high 34 points from Grayson Allen en route to a 94-45 victory over UNLV on Saturday in the first college basketball game ever at T Mobile Arena.(We wanted) to let them know that theyre going into a game where were playing against a very proud opponent that has accomplished a lot, Krzyzewski said. Thats why we watched (the 1991 game). Those games were moments. Moments in history in the game of basketball. So its an honor to come here today.Allen embraced the honor, and rose to the occasion by shooting 75 percent from the field -- including a perfect 7 of 7 in the second half. It was easily the junior guards most complete game of the season, as he appeared to be healthy after battling through leg and toe injuries since mid-November.He was making the athletic plays that he can make, but couldnt make from being injured, Krzyzewski said. That was a big plus for us. The guys responded really well.Once he knocked down the first of his six 3-pointers, three minutes into the game, Allen led an offensive charge that saw four Blue Devils score in double figures.Luke Kennard had 16 points and five rebounds for Duke (10-1), while Jayson Tatum had 13 points and five rebounds, and Amile Jefferson contributed with 10 points and 12 rebounds.Jalen Poyser had 16 points for UNLV.We ran into, if not the best, one of the top (teams). Thats a Final Four team, UNLV first-year coach Marvin Menzies said. I am disappointed we werent able to put our best foot forward. I know I have better players than that. This is one game. It is what it is. We will be fine.The Rebels (5-4) tried to make a couple of runs to challenge Duke, getting as close as 38-26 late in the first half after an 8-0 spurt..dddddddddddd. The Blue Devils answered with their defensive prowess and proved to be too much for an outmatched UNLV team that committed 13 turnovers a little more than 14 minutes into the game, and shot just 34 percent (10 of 29) in the first half.Though UNLV was competitive on the glass, outrebounding the Blue Devils 20-17 in the first half, Duke outscored the Rebels 26-10 in the paint while opening a 42-26 halftime lead.We prepared well, Krzyzewski said. We prepared to try to beat a really good team, and we did.The standing-room only crowd of 19,107 was the highest attendance for a basketball game in Las Vegas since, ironically 1991, during UNLVs back-to-back Final Four run under the late-Jerry Tarkanian. The previous largest crowd was 19,147, at UNLVs home, the Thomas & Mack Center, on Feb. 14, 1991, against Cal Santa Barbara.BIG PICTUREDuke: In his last four games, Amile Jefferson is averaging 17.7 points and 12.2 rebounds, while shooting 69.7 percent (30 of 43) from the floor. Jefferson came into Saturdays game leading the ACC in field goal percentage, converting at a rate of 67 percent for the season. He is a career 63 percent shooter from the field.UNLV: After opening the season 5-2, the Runnin Rebels have lost their last two after allowing an average of 95.5 points per game. UNLV lost at Arizona State 97-73 last Saturday.BET YA DIDNT KNOWWhen Duke and UNLV met in 1990 and `91, Nevada sports books were banned from posting point spreads on teams from the Silver State. That also meant whenever UNLV or Nevada made the NCAA Tournament, future odds on teams winning the title couldnt be posted until either the Runnin Rebels or Wolf Pack were eliminated. Gaming Regulation 22.120(b) went into effect in 2001, and ever since, both schools are included on the regular sports betting rotation. Jay Kornegay, who runs the Westgate Superbook, said he opened Duke as a 15.5-point favorite eight weeks before the game. The Blue Devils closed as a 24.5-point favorite at tip-off on Saturday.UP NEXTDuke: hosts Tennessee State on Dec. 19UNLV: hosts Incarnate Word on Wednesday ' ' '