By Darren Ennis

David Taylor, the head of the Scottish Football Association, has been chosen as the new secretary general of UEFA, European football governing body, officials said on Friday.

Taylor has been given the role - the highest administrative position in UEFA and one of the most important roles in world football - in succession to Lars-Christer Olsson who stood down as chief executive last week.

Under a new structure to be formally approved next week, the role of CEO will become redundant and new UEFA president Michel Platini will be given more executive powers.

"It's a done deal," a senior UEFA official told Reuters.

"Basically the SFA have been informed and we are just dotting the i's and crossing the t's. We also need to change the statute books to allow for the changes."

Olsson left his post after three years following the election of Platini as the new UEFA president at the governing body's Congress in Duesseldorf on January 26.

Platini has made no secret he intends to act as more of an executive president rather than follow the more laissez-faire approach of his predecessor Lennart Johansson.

This meant Olsson -- a close ally and Swedish compatriot of Johansson -- had no option but to leave.

Platini's new powers will mirror those of his close ally FIFA president Sepp Blatter who takes a hand-on approach at football world governing body.

Taylor, who is steering a proposal to expand the European Championship from 16 to 24 teams, was a major supporter of Platini, giving the former French international his full public backing during the election race.

A lawyer by profession, Taylor joined the Scottish FA as chief executive in 1999 and is widely respected within the UEFA system. He is a member of the organisation's Control and Disciplinary Body.

At a meeting of the new UEFA executive committee on Friday, Marios Lefkaritis of Cyprus was elected as treasurer in place of Mathieu "Jeu" Sprengers of the Netherlands.

Lefkaritis was also appointed as a member of the FIFA executive committee for the European seat vacated by Platini, as Platini now takes a seat on the FIFA executive as an ex-officio vice-president in his capacity as UEFA president.

Four UEFA vice-presidents were also elected with Senes Erzik of Turkey remaining as first vice-president.

Geoffrey Thompson of England was named as second vice-president, Angel Maria Villar Llona of Spain as third and Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder of Germany as fourth vice-president.

Mayer-Vorfelder replaced Per Ravn Omdal of Norway, a staunch ally of former UEFA president Lennart Johanssson, as one of the four vice-presidents.

Giangiorgio Spiess of Switzerland and Friedrich Stickler of Austria were co-opted on to the executive until after Euro 2008 which their countries are jointly hosting.