Director of Strategic Development at Shakhtar: "There are representatives of Vanuatu and Fiji in the FIFA Executive Committee, b

Shakhtar's Director of Strategic Development Yuriy Sviridov spoke about the foreign policy of Ukrainian football.

Yuriy Sviridov

"As far as I know, and I am 100% sure, there has not been a single representative of Ukraine in the FIFA Executive Committee since 1991. There are representatives of Vanuatu, Fiji and others. With all due respect to these countries, we should also be there in 30 years.

With the new changes, we have to be ambitious, join the governing bodies of FIFA and UEFA and take leadership as well. It's not easy to work there, but we need to look for new leaders in Ukraine who will do this for the benefit of Ukrainian football and the state.

Why weren't we there before? Because we probably did not understand the value of this area, there were no people who could work there. The very system of Ukrainian football does not give way to young leaders. In particular, new faces must appear in football clubs, who must develop and move on. People in their 70s and 80s cannot represent the country at this age.

Everything is changing very quickly, and we need to look at people who want to work and speak English, who travel, study, and are ready to represent the country in these governing bodies.

It is very important what kind of team will come with Shevchenko. His vision is very important. If he also supports his ambitions and understands the importance of this direction, he will receive support and help from us. It is important that he himself is proactive, supports people who are ready to work there, and looks for such people, builds this team. We have to be open, we have to show leadership, and we have to develop our relationships in such a way that we are respected.

Not just to come for two or three days, to beautiful events organised by UEFA or FIFA, but to be there and be among the first to form the attitude to these events. And in the future, to apply for leadership positions. That is, it is no longer possible to work on the ideas that other representatives formulate. We have to get involved, we have to promote our ideas and shape policy in international football bodies," Sviridov said in an interview with the Bombardier YouTube channel.