MADRID, 25 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Former Ukrainian footballer Andriy Shevchenko was unanimously elected this Thursday as the new president of the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF), thus beginning a mandate that will last for the next five years.
The 47-year-old former captain and coach of the Ukrainian team was the only candidate running for election, and received the support of 93 of 94 delegates (he was one of them and did not participate in the vote) to be elected the new president. at the XXVI Congress of the UAF, held this Thursday in kyiv.
Thus, Shevchenko replaces Andriy Pavelko, a member of the UEFA Executive Committee since 2015. The new president of the UAF indicated that he plans to create a database and digitize all the activities of the entity, collaborating with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
As he mentioned in his speech, his work will focus on transparency and digitalization; the development of national teams and their brands; cooperation with clubs; arbitration reform and training of specialists; International cooperation; and the use of football for the recovery of Ukrainians after the war.
Furthermore, one of Shevchenko's challenges in office will be to avoid the massive flight of young Ukrainian talent from the country, something that Croatia already faced in the 1990s. Thus, the new board will collaborate with the Balkan federation, through by Zvonimir Boban.
“Today I begin my new role as president of the Ukrainian Football Association. A big and responsible task awaits me: developing Ukrainian football in the most difficult time in the history of Ukraine,” the former player wrote on his social networks.
In statements published by the entity on its website, the new president assured that Ukrainian football “must be popular and accessible.” “The national teams must be the pride of all Ukrainians, and the clubs must be strong and effective. There is a lot of work ahead,” commented the winner of the Ballon d'Or in 2004, as well as the Ukrainian coach between 2016 and 2021.