UEFA president Michel Platini will stand for a second term in office when his current run ends next year, he told delegates at the European governing body's annual congress in Tel Aviv yesterday.
The 54-year-old Frenchman, who succeeded Lennart Johansson as president in 2007, is expected to be unopposed when the decision is made at the next UEFA Congress in May 2011.
Platini told delegates in a simple statement: "I have been asked about my future by the press and other people but wanted to tell you first that I am happy man, a happy president and happy to work with you.
"There is more work to do in the future so I am happy to announce to you that I am a candidate for re-election to the presidency of UEFA."
He confirmed that next year's congress would be held in Paris.
Asked at a news briefing afterwards what he thought his main challenges would be in his second term if he was re-elected, he replied: "The biggest challenge for me was to decide whether to run again.
"I am a happy man, I have done many things, and there are great things to do ahead and I said to myself I will be a candidate again.
"For me I had to say it today. Many people have asked me, will I stay at UEFA, will I go to FIFA, will I go to Juventus, will I be a senator, or become a Member of Parliament.
"Now I have a year to prepare my programme. This was not an electoral Congress today but I had to say I was going to run again."
Meanwhile, Platini has vowed to ask authorities in Kiev why Ukraine's preparations to co-host the 2012 European Championship with Poland have been delayed.
"We'll see if there is political stability (in Ukraine)," said Platini.
"I'll go to Kiev in April and I will have a frank and serious conversation with the new government to see the situation, and also maybe bang my fist on the table a bit.
"We are confident (that Ukraine will be able to co-host the tournament) but I've seen photos of the stadium and I'm not completely reassured. We can't change the date. It will be Euro 2012, not 2014."
Ukraine's preparations to organise the quadrennial football showpiece have been hit by political turmoil and serious economic problems in the country.
The former France star underlined the "desire and enthusiasm" of the Poles and Ukrainians, but admitted that there are "numerous difficulties" to overcome.
"We've had to constantly adapt and re-adapt our approach to take this major challenge forward," he added.
"What's more, the economic crisis has arrived there and struck extremely hard in one of the two countries (Ukraine).
"Of course conditions will not be exactly the same as what we had at the last two tournaments," Platini continued, in reference to the 2004 tournament in Portugal and the 2008 edition in Switzerland and Austria.
Directly addressing the men behind Euro 2012, he said: "Mr Surkis (president of the Ukrainian football federation), Mr Lato (president of the Polish federation), you absolutely must hold your course in the final stretch.
"I believe in you, we believe in you. So don't weaken but re-double your efforts. It's not over yet!"