Serhiy Palkin: "FIFA is killing Ukrainian clubs"

General director of Shakhtar Serhii Palkin told The Athletic about the club's intention to appeal to FIFA. According to Palkin, due to FIFA's decision, which allowed foreign coaches and players to suspend their contracts with Ukrainian clubs until June 30, 2023, four Shakhtar transfers, which could have brought tens of millions of euros to the Ukrainian club, were disrupted.

"Everyone believes that we are one football family. This decision overruled that slogan. We are not one family, because no one cares about the fate of Ukrainian clubs. It is very sad. FIFA does not care about us".

As an example of a transfer that failed due to a FIFA decision, Palkin cites the case of Manor Solomon and Fulham. The player was supposed to move to the English club for 7.5 million euros.

"We had pretty much agreed everything and almost exchanged contracts, but when FIFA announced their decision, Fulham sent us a letter saying they were canceling all agreements but still taking the player. There is nothing we can do about it. Fulham signed a contract with Solomon, he became their player".

Probably, under such a scenario, Tete's transfer to Lyon also failed. The Brazilian's contract, like Solomon's, runs until the end of 2023.

"How could I close deals on 14 Legionnaires in a week? Palkin asks rhetorically. — When negotiating with clubs, players and agents, it is technically and physically impossible to close all issues in a week. After this terrible decision of FIFA, 26 million euros worth of transfers broke down in two days. They issued this decision and the clubs replied to them: "Thank you to FIFA that we are taking these players for free.

I read that FIFA held talks with all the participants in the process. This is absolutely not the case. They did not go to the UAF. They did not apply to leading Ukrainian clubs. This decision was made without us. They did not consider it necessary to listen to the opinion of the clubs on this issue. In this war, everyone supports Ukraine and Ukrainian organizations. How is it possible that FIFA says "We are all one family" and then makes a decision without us?

Do you know who they were talking to? With the World Leagues Forum. I don't know what kind of organization this is. Why do you contact her and not the organizations whose future you determine? I contacted the European Club Association (ECA) and they told me that FIFA had actually confronted them. This is flagrant negligence".

According to Palkin, he appealed several times to FIFA, personally to President Gianni Infantino and the FIFA legal department. But there was no answer.

"FIFA is like God in the sky. You cannot meet him, no one knows where he is. There is no communication with FIFA, they do not answer you, they do not respond adequately to your questions. This is hard for me to understand".

At the same time, Palkin does not want to blame the European clubs that took advantage of the situation.

"It was tough. They all withdrew their offers and terms. I understand them, on the one hand, you can take a player for free, on the other - pay 10-20 million euros for him. For you to choose? Take it for free. It's all FIFA's fault.

This solution will also enrich player agents. Everything that we were to get will go to them.

If you add up all direct and indirect losses, you get 50 million euros. We lost a lot of money because of the FIFA decision. I can prove it. I have documents, details of negotiations. This is not all fiction. These losses must be compensated. We are in a difficult financial situation and we cannot cover these costs".

According to Palkin, all documents will be sent to CAS by August 15, but he hopes that by that time Shakhtar and FIFA will be able to reach an agreement and the miners will drop their lawsuit.

"In the football business, payments are calculated over three, four or even five years. We have to pay these debts and nobody cares how we will do it, not even FIFA. With this decision, they killed Ukrainian clubs. The sale of football players was the only possibility to cover our debts. I have informed the clubs to whom we owe our situation and they understand it.

The next time FIFA asks us about financial fair play, I will tell them what is fair play if you stole all our foreign players?»

What will happen if no agreement is reached with FIFA and CAS does not support Shakhtar?

"It's too early to say. Need to talk to lawyers. We will fight for solutions and be honest. FIFA always talks about fair play, but I don't see honesty and justice herePalkin said.