Andriy Shevchenko, President of the Ukrainian Football Association, spoke in detail about the start of a new cooperation between the UAF and the world-famous Adidas company.
Andriy Shevchenko- Why did you decide to change your technical partner?
- Our goal was to attract a reputable brand that would not only represent our national team, but also meet the expectations of the Ukrainian football community.
Looking back, I remembered our previous partnership with adidas and decided to meet Bjorn Gulden, the company's CEO, in person at their headquarters in Germany. After thorough discussions with the team, we concluded that adidas was the best choice for a new technical partner.
- How was the selection of the new technical sponsor made? Did you consider other candidates?
- The selection of the new technical sponsor was a complex process. We chose adidas based on their experience in implementing innovative technologies and using high-quality materials. In addition, this brand has a long history of cooperation with the world's leading teams, which the national team of Ukraine is joining again.
- How long is the agreement and what are the terms of cooperation?
- The multi-year partnership provides for the equipment of all UAF national teams.
- Does this partnership apply to the youth national teams of Ukraine? Will the conditions be the same?
- The federation will receive training and playing uniforms for all its teams, including men's, women's, youth national teams, futsal teams and teams of players with amputations.
- How affordable will this uniform be for ordinary customers? Joma had limited batches of uniforms for sale, which created difficulties for fans. How will adidas work with this?
- Fans will be able to purchase the jerseys in selected adidas stores and on the company's official website.
We also plan to launch our own online store, which is currently under development, so that fans can easily purchase our official gear.
- Adidas produces uniforms for the national teams of Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Argentina and many others. How will our uniforms be different or similar to them?
- We wanted the design of our uniforms to become a symbol of unity and strength of the Ukrainian football community. The first uniform in partnership with adidas is inspired by the national colors of the country.
- What sponsors do you plan to attract or have already attracted since your appointment?
- We have an impressive list of potential partners with whom we want to cooperate, and we have already achieved some success. One of the new partners is AUT Bavaria, which is now the official automotive partner of the UAF. We also continue our successful long-term partnership with Lvivske.
- What are the key goals you have set for yourself as UAF President?
- In January 2024, I presented nine areas of the program: transparency, digitalization, training, national team development, cooperation with clubs, arbitration reform, post-traumatic recovery, effective marketing, and international cooperation. Each of these areas is important for the growth of our football.
We also focus on developing children's football and launching important social projects. Planning during the war is difficult, but we are adapting to achieve our goals.
Mykola Maranchak
