In the reporting week, after the rescheduled match between "Rukh" and "Chornomorets", this year's tournament program of the domestic Ukrainian calendar was exhausted. It's time to take a breather, look into the future, and sum up the interim results.
"Dynamo": draw conclusions and move on
Traditionally, one of the main newsmakers in the domestic information space was the president of Kyiv "Dynamo" Ihor Surkis, whose interview with the popular TV presenter Ihor Tsyganyk was immediately analyzed for quotes: in total, on 26 resources, we find about 70 republications of the material or excerpts from it.
The head of the capital club analyzed the summer-autumn part of the season, which turned out to be ambiguous, touched on some personnel issues and shared his hopes and aspirations with the fans.
"We played an incredible number of matches, — Ihor Mykhailovych returned to the "Dynamo" charity tour. — Wandered all over Europe. Sometimes they moved from place to place at night. By buses, trains, and planes... They wanted to go out and show that our country is alive. In addition, with the help of these matches, some money was collected to help the Armed Forces and our refugees... We did a noble thing, and I have no regrets. Even though under these circumstances, as a result, we didn't have any preparation for the season." (Dynamo.kiev.ua, 6.12.22).
The team, torn not only from the usual schedule of training, but also from the Motherland, where an insidious enemy attacked, successfully entered the official part of the sports year - overcame two rounds of Champions League qualification, missing only the super-powerful Portuguese Benfica in the group tournament.
A daunting calendar, complex logistics and a disturbing news background significantly contributed to Dynamo falling into a physical and psychological pit: one of the undisputed leaders of Ukrainian football suffered several significant losses in the national championship and was frankly disappointing in the Europa League draw.
"We must not sprinkle our heads with ashes, — believes I. Surkis. — We must draw conclusions. Everyone has to do it: me, the coach, the team. And to move forward... We have amazingly talented young people. She needs to be involved. And, believe me, such an experienced coach as Lucescu will manage to create a fighting team" (Footclub.com.ua, 6.12.22).
The Romanian coach performs his work professionally, Ihor Mykhailovych noted, expressing hope that after the winter training session, "Dynamo" will gain the desired condition and demonstrate a game worthy of a big brand. This should be facilitated by the positive results of negotiations with those players whose contracts are coming to an end (Tsygankov), and the progress of young performers (in particular, Vanata), and the return to the expected level of those on whom special hopes were once placed (primarily speaking of Supryaga) .
The president has no doubts that his wards will definitely fight at the finish of the championship for the championship title. Many journalists also strongly urge not to write off the people of Kyiv.
For example, commentator and journalist Viktor Vatsko agrees that in the spring "Dynamo" will demonstrate a much better game, which will allow real competition between the current leaders of the tournament table - "Dnipro-1" and "Shakhtar".
"It would be a colossal mistake for everyone to hide Dynamo's chances in the fight for the championship, Watzko said in his author program on YouTube (5.12.2022). — I am sure that "Dynamo" will be stronger after the winter break... I think they drew conclusions from the summer situation, when they thought that they would easily pass the championship and become champions, because they have an experienced coach and the best-played squad. I think that now they will not underestimate their opponents and the "military" championship."
By the way, both of the mentioned collectives - Dnipro and Donetsk - have clearly defined leaders. For the Dnipros, Artem Dovbyk is currently the most accurate sniper in the Ukrainian championship, and for the Miners, Mykhailo Mudryk is the real discovery of the year. The results of the championship will be significantly influenced by whether these stars will remain in their current clubs, because the press of both is actively "trading" to the leading Western championships.
Regarding Mudryk, there was even information that, they say, his transfer to the London "Arsenal" is already a done deal. However, the director of "Shakhtar" Dario Srna suggests not to rush.
"The sage is very talented. He has a four-year contract with Shakhtar, but so far we have not had contact with any club. If someone wants one, they will have to pay a lot of money. He is our diamond." said the Croatian specialist in an interview with Tuttomercatoweb (Football.ua, 8.12.22).
The Central Committee of the CPSU and a banquet during the war
In the interview of I. Surkis, it is difficult to ignore one more remark. It concerns the organizational aspects of internal competitions.
"I do not understand how the principle of equality of conditions for all participants of the competition is observed in this championship, — wonders the president of Dynamo, reflecting on the tournament standings and calendar. — Someone played all the matches like us. But someone played one match less, someone two. And we could also play the postponed matches in the spring. And we were also participants in the European Cups. The rules of the game should be equal for everyone." (Dynamo.kiev.ua, 6.12.22).
But it seems that those who should ensure this same equality have long been out of football, to put it mildly. At least this is evidenced by fresh news from the "sidelines", or rather from the courtrooms, where the top leaders of the national association, headed by Andriy Pavelko, are the protagonists of high-profile cases.
"Since 2018, Pavelko appears in at least six criminal proceedings, - reminds the well-known investigative journalist Kostyantyn Andriyuk in the material for the website Ua.tribuna.com (6.12.22). — But they did not advance even to suspicions, they lay like dead weight. And now the dynamics are incredible - investigative actions, serving of suspicions, preventive measure is chosen. This is very serious."
"The cases are completely different - both about primitive corruption, such as overestimating the cost of construction works, and taking money offshore, and about collusion with NABU detectives, as well as obstructing the legal activities of journalists, Andriyuk's colleagues from the resource complement him Antikor.com.ua (29.11.22). — Experts estimate the amount of damages caused by Pavelko and his officials to the budget of Ukraine and international organizations at approximately 550 million hryvnias.
As noted in the previous media review, the Pechersk District Court ordered Pavelkov and General Secretary of the UAF Yury Zapisotsky a preventive measure - two months in custody with the possibility of bail of 9.88 million hryvnias.
"Immediately, bail was posted for both corruption suspects, - reports Footballhub.com.ua (7.12.22). — Judging by the comment of attorney Pavelek, this was done by the UAF itself. To be more precise, the journalists found out that it was a company 100% owned by UAF, UAF Marketing LLC. This company made a deposit for both of them in the amount of 19 million 760 thousand hryvnias, which is almost half of the authorized capital of this legal entity according to Opendatabot data.
"UAF Marketing" was founded in 2016, already after Andriy Pavelko headed the then FFU.
According to the current legislation, business associations, such as "UAF Marketing", work with the goal of making a profit. The Charter of this LLC clearly states: it carries out production, commercial and research activities with the aim of making a profit, as well as to satisfy the social and economic interests of its participants and members of the labor team.
"Considering that the deposit of cash bail to the court in criminal proceedings does not imply the receipt of profit or other dividends for the mortgagor, the question arises: how are the direct costs of the profitable Company in the amount of 18 million hryvnias. correspond to the direct purpose and object of activity of LLC "UAF Marketing"? - wonders Footballhub.com.ua (7.12.22). — And if we take into account that the accused persons - Pavelko and Zapisotskyi - do not have a direct relationship with this legal entity, but are "only" officials of the governing body of the UAF, who dispose of the funds of "Ukrainian football", a rhetorical question arises: what In the future, this subsidiary/pocket company of UAF will ask for a benefit for itself for such a generous act?!.."
Journalists calculated that with these funds pseudo-patriots from the UAF could buy two naval drones, 220 diesel generators, about 60 SUVs or 206 reconnaissance copters popular on the front lines for the Armed Forces. Or, if we return to the problems of development and popularization of football in Ukraine, build and equip 36 mini-fields!
Viktor Vatsko considered the situation from a similar perspective. According to his calculation, 20 million hryvnias would cost exactly 20 training sessions of the national teams. And taking care of these teams is the main goal of UAF and its subsidiaries.
"For how many years have coaches, employees of the institute of national teams (youth, U19, U20, U17, etc.) complained that there is no money, — V. Vatska cites the resource 1927.kiev.ua (6.12.22). — There is no money for fees, for medical supplies, everything is saved, the lists of the number of football players are cut when the team, national team (!) goes abroad. And ours go abroad only when there are some serious tournaments, they rarely go to unofficial competitions, because there is no money, you have to save. The number of days spent abroad is cut in order to cut the budget and not pay foreign per diems.
That is, savings on everything, savings on football, on the national team of Ukraine! And once again - and 20 million hryvnias were "spitted out"... There is money for the pledge to "smear" oneself, but there is no money for football, for its development, for the progress of our young football players, for their international experience."
The "accounting" topic regarding the functioning of the UAF and its units was reflected in another glaring reminder of K. Andriyuk. It is not the first time that he has published the salary registers of Pavelka's department in his accounts on social networks, accompanying the "insider" with new stunning details.
"Updated information has arrived regarding the employment status of some employees and managers of the UAF, Andriyuk quotes Champion.com.ua (6.12.22). — Please note the list of these managers. Whose salary ranges from UAH 55,000 to UAH 110,958 (50,479 + Bonus 100%). So, it turned out that these people are only "managers" on paper. And in fact it is... the bodyguards of the head of the UAF - Andrii Pavelka.
They protect Pavelek himself, his wife, Kateryna Chaus, and most importantly, they protect his private luxury house in Khotyanivka, measuring 1,200 square meters. And 200 pairs of shoes inside. And I will squeeze the land into the states. And even an eagle mannequin covered in crocodile skin. All these people receive a salary from the UAF budget to fulfill the private whims of the head of Ukrainian football."
Analyzing the published lists, it is possible to perceive the presence of legendary Ukrainian football players Oleg Blokhin, Igor Belanov, Oleksiy Mykhailichenko and Anatoly Demianenko at the court hearing regarding Pavelek in a slightly different way. Each of this "support group" receives six-figure fees at UAF. But we are not talking about the fact that the stars of the past undoubtedly earned such "pensiones". And not about how effective their activities are in the specified positions - vice presidents, technical or sports directors of the UAF, heads of committees or councils.
It turns out that the people who won fame for our football are currently being used in a rudimentary way - also as a kind of bodyguards, as a human shield behind which, in the opinion of corrupt officials and tax thieves, it is most convenient to hide from a just punishment.
It's unfortunate that this is happening. It is a pity that these respectable people refuse to realize this, neglecting their own image, which has been formed for decades...
"UAF needs drastic changes, — emphasizes Viktor Vatsko in the framework of the journalistic "round table" organized by the editorial office Ua.tribuna.com (6.12.22). — Because what we have now is the Central Committee of the CPSU, where there is a General Secretary who has surrounded himself with loyal people who do only what he says. And only units can be said to be independent, have their own point of view. Units. This is the biggest problem.
In Ukrainian football, there has never been such a public and serious accusation of corruption against the president of the federation. This whole story should end in the courts..."
Long shadows of old sins
Over the course of several years, Andrii Pavelka managed to escape from the clutches of law enforcement agencies in a strange way. Such impunity should obviously also attract the attention of those who are now bringing the investigation to its logical conclusion.
The "Money" program last week reminded how the UAF president avoided punishment according to many protocols of the Anti-Corruption Agency, remaining outside the register of corrupt persons.
"At the beginning of 2019, NAZK drew up 13 protocols regarding the conflict of interests of UAF president Andrii Pavelek. These are administrative offenses, in case of confirmation of which a person is automatically included in the register of corrupt persons, — relays the details of the journalistic investigation Footballhub.com.ua (8.12.22). — With such a number of protocols, Andriy Pavelko could have already headed the register, but he continued to head the Ukrainian Football Association. All 13 protocols did not have time or did not want to be considered in court due to deadlines."
In the end, Pavelka was not only not brought to justice, but also decided not to establish the authenticity of the facts presented by the NAZK, and accordingly did not add the embezzler to the register of corrupt persons. What is the secret? Again, a quote from the Money program.
"People's deputy Hryhoriy Mamka comments: "Can you imagine the head of the budget committee, which prepares the budget for all state bodies every year? The NAKC is there, the judicial branch of government is there, law enforcement agencies are there."
Indeed, the minutes were drawn up a month after the budget was approved. It is worth noting that at that time Andriy Pavelko was the head of the budget commission of the Verkhovna Rada and had a direct influence on the amount of funding of both the NAKC and the courts, as well as the prosecutor's office. (Footballhub.com.ua, 8.12.22).
Quite often, decisions made in the Verkhovna Rada and voted for by deputy Andrii Pavelko, without reporting a conflict of interest, had a real monetary dimension, the journalistic investigation claims. Starting from the program with football fields, where the artificial grass was supposedly produced by the FFU Production plant, and ending with bills related to the holding of the Champions League final in Kyiv. Yes, the already mentioned LLC "UAF Marketing", which paid a 20 million hryvnia deposit for Pavelko and Zapisotskyi, then, in 2018, received 25 million hryvnias from the capital's budget for UEFA events!
It is clear that the change in reality - the transition from "resolve" methods to the principles of strict adherence to legality - today does not suit Pavelka in any way. In an effort to escape justice again, he shows wonders of cunning and ingenuity.
Once upon a time, it can be recalled, any accusations against him were called fakes by the football official from ill-wishers and envious people, as well as journalists hired by them (such were found even in Switzerland!). With the passage of time, when accusations of outright unprofessionalism were joined by concrete, documented facts of corruption and corresponding criminal proceedings, their leader changed tactics.
Recently, he pretends to be a victim of political persecution. Like, at first the Russian FSB set its evil eye on him, and now the SBU and the Office of the President of Ukraine are behind the harassment!
Such a rather strange "polarity" does not confuse Mr. Pavelek at all. Maybe because, in addition to purely football, he has an equally loud and scandalous political background?
Current efforts to accuse the authorities of obstructing the normal functioning of the national football association (in the domestic media you can even find such a construction - "criminal pressure on the UAF") are in fact nothing more than a reflection of the activities of Pavelko himself, who to a large extent made domestic football hostage to political games, at a certain moment actually turning the national and regional associations into cells of one of the pro-power parties at that time.
"All the power of Andriy Vasyliovych Pavelek in the House of Football from the first day is based on political levers, - says journalist Roman Bebeh on the electronic pages of "Tribune". — He was in the BPP party, headed the Budget Committee of the Verkhovna Rada, had access to the administration of the President of Ukraine... He talked about the new rules of the game, the fight against corruption. Instead, he was permeated with the idea of political negotiators, a meeting of VIPs in the lodge, a change of heads of regional federations. It's all a big political game" (Ua.tribuna.com, 6.12.22).
Moreover, similar to certain political characters, Pavelko changed the fundamental football laws "for himself".
"During Pavelek's rule, the statute of the UAF was changed - the presidential term was increased from four to five years, and no confidence in the president can be proposed not by two-thirds of the members of the UAF, but by three-quarters. — continues R. Bebeh. — This reminds me of how Yanukovych changed the constitution during his rule. Pavelko understood that the regional federations could turn against him if he pressed them. Because at one time they were under such pressure to support Pavelko" (Ua.tribuna.com, 6.12.22).
Probably, in Pavelek's opinion, such "barricades" made him invulnerable not only in the position of the head of the UAF, but also in front of the facts of corrupt activities. Pogotiv is the post of a member of the UEFA Executive Committee, which its official promised to use for the benefit of Ukraine, but instead perceives as a certain indulgence and a tool for blackmail at all levels.
"It has never happened in our history that the president of the UAF/FFU was chosen as a preventive measure. Pavelko claims that OP wants to remove him, Viktora Watzko said in his author's On Air program. — He is ready to blackmail with expulsion from FIFA and UEFA if state interference in football is proven. For me, the situation when the chair is placed above the state is outrageous."
Pavelek's speculations are not limited to this: the participation of Ukraine (hypothetical so far) in the bid to host the 2030 World Cup together with Spain and Portugal has also been chosen as a tool for blackmail. Like, there won't be me - there won't be a planetary tournament on our territory either.
"After the court session, Pavelko organized a meeting of the UAF, where work began on Ukraine's bid for the 2030 World Cup. Pavelko clings to this forum as if to his last straw. It is important for him to associate himself with the world championship, because he brought it to Ukraine and he cannot be removed from his position." - Mykhailo Spivakovskyi, host of the "TaToTake" show, analyzes the situation (Football24.ua, 4.12.22).
So, it turns out that carefully constructed paper "bastions" no longer work - the law is the same for everyone, and, by the way, this is one of the foundations of democracy for which Ukrainians are currently fighting. Since Pavelko clearly understands that in the legal field he is unable to answer the court's accusations, he has to resort to such "feints".
In this regard, not only the "arguments" for keeping the leadership seat in the UAF, but also the desperate attempts to "preemptively" question the legitimacy of the election of one's successor, regardless of who is nominated for the position of chairman of the association, are indicative.
"Goals" in the aggressor's goal
The media review of the results of the week, which included not only the World Football Day, but also the special Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine against the background of Russian aggression, does not want to end with minor motives. All the more so because there are reasons for positivity - thanks to those who prefer honest painstaking work to pathos and self-promotion, and sometimes quiet charity, contributions to the future Victory.
At the address of Kyiv "Dynamo" came another thanks from the military from the front line of our struggle for Independence.
"Thanks are expressed to the president of the "Dynamo Kyiv" football club Ihor Mykhailovych Surkis for his active public position, patriotism, volunteer initiative and comprehensive support of the battalion's servicemen, shown during the repulsion of military aggression," says the official letter that arrived at the club's office. (Fcdynamo.com, 9/12/2022).
The commander of the A7301 unit, Lieutenant Colonel I. Shepetin, thanks the people of Dynamo for financing the purchase of MAVIC3 drones and Starlink communication systems, which will help to quickly liberate Donetsk and Luhansk regions from the enemy. And the day before, a similar reaction came from the soldiers of military unit A0136.
"The command and the entire personnel of the military unit express their deep gratitude for the assistance provided, which today is extremely necessary for the high-quality formation of the unit and the effective performance of combat tasks to protect the territorial integrity of our state." - the official website of Dynamo FC quotes a letter from the commander of the formation, Colonel V. Kinchevskyi (Fcdynamo.com, 6.12.2022).
"Together to victory!" — a slogan that is often used in Dynamo's symbolism, today as never before relevant for the whole of Ukraine. And the president and the leadership of the FC, as we can see, reinforce with real deeds the confidence that the enemy will be defeated, expressed, in particular, in the above-mentioned interview of Igor Surkis: "We have no doubt that victory in this war will be ours!"
It is football that is one of the most vivid proofs of the fact that, despite the bloody war with the insidious aggressor, Ukraine strives to live a full life. And the capital in this process remains among the leaders. This, among other things, is evidenced by the results of the reporting and election conference of the Kyiv Football Association.
Through an open vote, the delegates re-elected the president of the organization, Ihor Kochetov, for a new term. In his report, he indicated the true scale of the AFC's activities in recent years, which does not abate even in wartime.
"In 2021, the GS FFK changed its name to the GS AFK, underwent re-registration with the justice authorities and signed an Agreement with the Department of Youth and Sports of the KMDA until December 30, 2026, according to which only the GS AFK has the authority to hold official city competitions, as well as to represent the football of the capital of Ukraine at All-Ukrainian and international competitions", — Ihor Kochetov recalled in his report at the Conference (Ffk.kiev.ua, 5.12.22).
The fact that every year Kyiv clubs delegate from 58 to 69 of their students to the national, youth and youth national teams of Ukraine has a solid basis: up to 450 teams participate in championships, championships and cups of the city, and 12 age categories include football players starting ages 8 and up!
And this is under conditions when, due to the voluntary decisions of the leadership of the UAF, on the basis of unfounded demands and accusations, the AFC has been excluded from the national association and deprived of financial support for almost two years now.
"He builds, he destroys..." - as the great Kobzar wrote in the song of the immortal comedy "Dream". Those lines should be re-read and reconsidered today by everyone who got a chance from history to defend and later build post-war Ukraine. With those laws, with that life, with that football, which this State unconditionally deserves.
Orest LELEKA
