Just a little spoiler for those reading this article. If you are waiting for happy ending stories about the Ukrainian telepool, we have to disappoint you. He will not be. A single telepool will not be created. Not now and not under these conditions. And the point is not at all that there is a war in our country. Now let's explain why.
Andriy Pavelko. Photo — V. Rasner, komandaonline.comAbout UPL
A little excursion into history. Everyone remembers the strenuous attempts to hold elections for the president of the Ukrainian Premier League in 2020 and how it all ended? Yevgeny Dykyi, who was convenient and "pocketable" for the UAF, was then left as the executive director (read - the chief executive of the UPL), equal in status to the President of the UPL, and the very idea of democratic elections was somehow forgotten. The annulment of the election strangely coincided with another event. There is information that before this X-Day a meeting was held between Shakhtar General Director Serhiy Palkin and UAF President Andrii Pavelek, at which Evgeny Dyky was blessed in absentia for new achievements. Let's just say it like it is: Wild is a good guy. He is a sociable, hardworking and diligent person, but he is definitely not an independent and self-sufficient top manager. And in fact it turns out that UPL has been without a leader for three years. And Yevhen Dykiy is a kind of double of Thomas Grimm, only with a Ukrainian passport, well, and with the difference that he is at work more often than his predecessor. And these two have one thing in common: Dyky, as a well-known grandfather-lawyer and pensioner from Switzerland, is a convenient figure for most UPL clubs, who, we assume, is pulled by Andriy Vasyliovych Pavelko by the strings from his office.
When the UPL was just created in 2008, there was a short period when the UPL really did not represent anyone's interests, except the interests of the clubs. At that time, this institution gave quite good financial results: sponsors were involved in the Ukrainian championship, rights were sold. At that moment, the right standards were set: the product was interesting and sparked interest in football. There were fans, there were the right contracts. It's a pity, it didn't last long. Later, people close to Shakhtar Donetsk came to power and usurped this football vertical, forcing the rest of the clubs to spin around their axis. The consequences of this policy resulted in what we have now. Chaos and discord.
Now let's figure out what UPL is in our time. Now the functions of this organization are reduced to a banal simple thing - to make a calendar of competitions. And in theory UPL should be an enterprise that should create a product, promote it on the market and, accordingly, make money for the clubs from the sale of this product. In order for this to work in practice, the UPL must own the full range of rights (television and advertising rights). As if everything is simple, right? To sell something, you have to have something. And it turns out that all rights belong to the UAF. And how to sell what you gave for nothing?
About UAF
On paper, UAF is a non-profit organization. Its main functions are to develop mass football and take care of national teams. Instead, we have the following: UAF monopolized Ukrainian football. No one is surprised by what Pavelko is doing at the General Meeting of the Premier League and what right does he have to discuss issues related to the commercial activities of clubs and the Ukrainian Premier League? What functions does it perform there? You won't like the answer. He usurped absolute power, including such structures as the UPL and the PFL. And all this is against the background of Pavelko's continuous enmity with the Surkis brothers, who once led Andriy Vasyliovych by the hand to the House of Football, but probably did not even hear "thank you". Pavelko essentially became the one who decides the fate of clubs in Ukrainian football, hiding behind decisions, or rather, solid "approvals" of the UAF Executive Committee. If we take into account that the current president of UAF has been openly lobbying for the interests of Shakhtar Donetsk for so many years, receiving loyalty and protection from the media structures of the owner of the Donetsk club, then the talk about a single TV pool looks completely unrealistic.
About betting rights
We understand that the creation of a single pool is a necessary prerequisite for the emergence of a complete quality product. It is about a product that will be in demand in the market. Clubs are interested in money, and the more the merrier, right? After all, we have such clubs that are not satisfied with 94 thousand dollars. Ideally, a single telepool collects all rights from clubs: television (domestic, international, betting), digital, commercial and advertising. In our case, we have Setanta's offer, which for $3.2 million for the first season gets domestic and international rights to broadcast matches, rights to broadcast highlights, digital rights. In fact, everything except betting rights. They somehow, with the tacit consent of the clubs, ended up in the possession of UAF three years ago. How is unclear.
Before moving on, it is necessary to explain what betting rights consist of. This concept has two components. The first: the broadcast of the match in the stream mode on the platforms of betting operators, the second - the transfer of statistical data. Now the story with betting rights is as follows: probably through Pavelka, the bookmaker VBet entered Ukrainian football, which first became the title sponsor of the Championship, and later of our national team. But this contract was not purely commercial. It has a much deeper interest, both on one side and on the other. The fact is that BetRadar is associated with VBet bookmakers. And it was to her that the UAF, after receiving the clubs' betting rights, sold these rights. The official argument with which the UAF's motive is to use the property of the clubs is as follows: with the money raised, the Association buys another VAR van, which serves league matches. You wanted fair and impartial football? So here's VAR, it doesn't lie.
Then a little math. For just $100,000 a year, BetRadar has obtained a monopoly on betting rights and sells them to bookmakers around the world. Most likely, there are at least 10 other bookmakers where BetRadar has made at least $1 million in match streams and statistics. But our clubs, which own these rights, will never see a penny of this money. Because all the most interesting things happen behind the screen. In public, UAF shows clubs that it sold betting rights for 100,000, which went to VAR. It's scary to even think how much money has been made from betting rights.
Pavelka's company
So who is at Pavelka's company? Two people are engaged in betting at UAF: Oleg Shkryoba and Roman Volynets. Roman Volynets heads UAF Marketing, and Oleg Shkryoba is a gray cardinal who worked under Surkis, was vice president of UAF and general director of Ukraine Football International. Shkryoba is a student of Serhii Lashkul, who, even under the USSR, created a similar commercial company that dealt with the rights of clubs that were bought for nothing. And also Skryoba - attention here! - best man of Oleksandr Denisov. They even have a joint business - a cafe in Kyiv.
Oleksandr Denisov is mentioned here for a reason. He also played an important role in this scheme. Namely, he helped implement the scheme with betting rights. Where did all the streams for the betting platforms come from, you ask? Special equipment was installed on the "Football" TV channel, which converted the television signal into a stream. From the channel office, the signal went to BetRadar, who were already distributing it to those with whom the deals were made.
One thing emerges from the example of trash with betting rights. UPL is, most likely, a screen behind which Pavelko does whatever he wants, and clubs, accordingly, are expendable material on which you can heat up a large sum. Judge for yourself: no matter what decisions the UPL makes, they will still be approved by a vote of the Executive Committee. Pavel also has more than ten hand clubs, which he holds in his fist. And here is a vivid example for you: voting for the U-19 Championship to be played. In the end, the "movement" did achieve its goal, but it was preceded by very strange miracles. According to the results of the first survey that the UPL sent to the clubs, the total majority voted against the extension. But the next day, the clubs radically change their minds and send their consent. The previous results were strangely annulled. Sources say that this performance was preceded by Pavelko's call to Kozlovsky and Andrii Vasylovich's promise to "solve the issue" as a sign of gratitude for "friendship and support." And this is just one small example of the "dealers" of the master of backroom affairs Pavelek.
By the way, did you know that the UAF received 6% of every contract from the broadcaster and sponsors that the UPL concluded? In the documents it is indicated: the reward of the UAF. And that's not all: another 5% is to be transferred to the exclusive commercial partner UAF Marketing LLC. The question arises: what is the relationship of these structures to professional football?
Setanta
Now about the situation with Setanta. Where did the figure of 94 thousand dollars per club from the broadcaster come from, which has already become a bone of contention for many clubs? Whether it's a little or a lot - let everyone decide for themselves. Another thing is interesting: $94,000 is the amount minus the same 6% commission. And guess who it's for? That's right, for the UAF. It makes no sense to talk about the moral right of UAF to take money from clubs. Let's better calculate the amount that the clubs are not receiving. We multiply this $6,000 by 16 clubs and get $96,000, which ends up in someone's pocket. The UAF can appeal as if the rights to broadcast belong to them, hence their fate in the distribution of funds for broadcast rights. But it is probably only in our state that such fables can be told, and everyone around will believe it. Throughout the civilized world, broadcasting rights have always belonged to clubs. They, not the federations, are the creators of the product that we see on television and in the stands of stadiums.
Now about insiders and threats. Clubs that oppose a single telepool (read - clubs that do not want to play under Pavelka's pipe) are threatened with sanctions. From financial penalties and withdrawal of points to elimination from the competition. Now let's think logically. Three of the four clubs that do not support the idea of a single pool being imposed on the House of Football are European Cup teams. "Dynamo", "Dnipro-1" and "Zorya". Do you believe that during the war, when we are collecting our football, Pavel will have the courage to expel these clubs from the UPL? You have to be totally crazy to do that. Then where do these statements about sanctions to clubs and a canceled contract from the broadcaster come from? The name of the insider of this rumor will tell you a lot. Their author, Ihor Burbas, worked on the same channel that Denisov managed. Apparently, everything is clear here with the motives.
VBet
Now let's return to VBet, which became the title sponsor of the championship a year ago. In the first year, they paid UPL one million dollars, of which 200,000 immediately went to collectors from UAF for the purchase of a VAR car. The clubs were to receive 4 tranches for a total of $45,000 each. Where did the other 80 pieces go, you ask? Because if you multiply 45 by 16, you get 720 thousand. There is a suspicion that this money went to UAF Marketing. But where? Probably on VAR again.
In the 2022/2023 season, under the terms of the contract, Vbet must pay one and a half million dollars, but due to the war and the crisis in the country, they are not against halving this amount and are negotiating with the right people. Interest is also expected from this amount of UAF. Wondering what to do now? It seems that there will be no VAR this season.
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So how do you make a single telepool? No way. A single telepool is possible only under the conditions when the Ukrainian Premier League becomes an independent organization, gets its own manager and manages the rights of all clubs on its own. And until this happens, most clubs, without suspecting it, play the role of actors of the show, while behind the stage someone quietly transfers the money from the tickets sold to the show. And this performance, to be honest, somehow dragged on a lot.
Oleksandr Zheliznyak
