Andriy Shevchenko is undoubtedly the most titled and popular footballer in Ukraine. And not only her.
The pupil of Dynamo football school once said: "I did not choose football, but football chose me". And football is proud of him. This magnificent striker delighted football fans of Kyiv Dynamo, Italian Milan, English Chelsea and the national team of Ukraine with his game.
Andriy ShevchenkoAndriy Shevchenko is the winner of the Golden Ball (2004), Champions Cup and European Super Cup (2003). Three times he became the top scorer of the Champions League. He is also a multiple champion and winner of the Cup of Ukraine. Honoured Master of Sports of Ukraine. Top scorer of the national team. And this is not all the achievements of Andriy Shevchenko in big football.
Having finished his career as a player, he stayed in football. Football became his life's work. He switched to coaching work. In 2016-2021 he headed the national team, the captain of which he was for many years. He led his charges to the final part of Euro 2020, where he reached the quarter-finals, successfully performed "yellow-blue" and in the League of Nations.
In September 2023, Andriy Mykolaivych, Hero of Ukraine, became a freelance adviser to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Rashists, Shevchenko became the first ambassador of the presidential platform United24. Together with famous Ukrainians he took an active part in many events in support of Ukraine.
In mid-December last year, the legendary Ukrainian footballer was officially nominated as a candidate for election as UAF president. The candidacy for the election of the UAF head can be nominated by any permanent member of the association and must be supported by at least one third of the regional offices. This is enshrined in the statute of the UAF.
In mid-December 2023, the UAF received the minutes of the meetings of the governing bodies of 14 of the 27 permanent members of the UAF. These are the Kyiv Association of Football Associations, the Associations of Zaporizhzhya, Luhansk, Donetsk, Mykolayiv, Odessa, Zhytomyr, Ternopil, Cherkasy, Khmelnytsky, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Chernihiv regions, as well as the Football Association of Crimea and Sevastopol.
The new president of the UAF should be elected at an extraordinary meeting of the Congress, scheduled for 25 January.
I will remind, since 2015, the position of UAF President was held by Andriy Pavelko, but since June 2023 he has been under investigation.
Upon learning about the decision to nominate him as a candidate for the presidency of the Ukrainian Football Association, Andriy Pavelko reacted as follows: "I am grateful to the UAF permanent members for their initiative to nominate my candidature for the post of UAF President. I will prepare my programme and selection of team members. I plan to meet with representatives of all regional federations. I am ready to serve the football of Ukraine".
Let me remind you that the presidents of the governing football bodies of independent Ukraine - first FFU and then UAF - were: Viktor Bannikov, Valeriy Pustovoitenko, Hryhoriy Surkis, Anatoliy Konkov and Andriy Pavelko.
On 25 January, after the end of the extraordinary meeting of the UAF Congress, we will know who will become the president of our football. Although already now there is no doubt that it will be Andriy Shevchenko, who is the only candidate.
I was present at all the "coronations" of the five previous presidents. Some of them did not fulfil their promises. I would like Andrii Shevchenko not to join their ranks.
Oleksandr LIPENKO for Dynamo.kiev.ua
