Technical Director of UAF Ihor Dedishin commented on the UPL TV meeting of clubs of the Ukrainian Premier League.
Ihor Dedishin— I am very grateful to the clubs for being on the same page with us. I felt complete understanding. We had an open dialogue that led to concrete results. We agreed on the concept of a new format for the Cup starting from next season, agreed on the consolidation of television rights for it, and all of them will be channeled into a single television point — UPL TV, around which in the future very high-quality football content will be created, allowing us to concentrate all national football of different levels in one place for the viewer. This is such an ambition and goal.
It’s great that the clubs dared to embark on this project called UPL TV at one time, which is very qualitatively expanding its horizons.
— What will the transfer of television rights look like, and what are the benefits for the clubs and UAF?
— The main thing we have mutually agreed on is that we want to create a quality product and everyone has agreed to this. In the next season of the Ukrainian Cup, we will implement uniform standards for broadcasting. All costs will be borne by the Ukrainian Football Association through attracting sponsors and partners. This financial burden is taken away from the clubs. Previously, the financial responsibility for broadcasting home matches was on them. Now all rights will be consolidated, and all matches will be shown on UPL TV. This is a step towards cooperation from UAF. The most important thing we have demonstrated is that Ukrainian football is a street with two-way traffic, where the subjects move towards each other.
— What is the fundamental difference of the new Cup format from the previous one?
— We wanted this to truly be a Cup for all of Ukraine, and we involved the regions. We eliminated extra time, so now in the case of a draw, there will be an immediate penalty shootout. We gave a sense that each match for every team is crucial and every minute is important. And the opportunity, so to speak, for smaller clubs to try to jump as high as possible.
— Were any decisions made regarding the youth league of Ukraine?
— Yes, there was an idea that had been considered for many years, and now we have finalized the concept proposed by UAF for creating the National U-19 League, which will be open and accessible to all football entities that develop this direction and have academies, a U-19 team, or the opportunity to create one. We removed the connection of such a league to the UPL, which had been a limiting factor for the development of players. This led to a loss of competitiveness and resulted in many uncompetitive matches. We wanted to remove this and managed to convince the clubs that this is the right path. After all, our main goal is to develop young players for both clubs and national teams.
— So now, in order to register a team in the national U-19 championship, is it not mandatory to have a first team in the UPL?
— Any private school, municipal school, or state-owned school that has its teams in DYLFL and produces, so to speak, 11th-grade players and wishes to form a U-19 team can participate in the National League. They can go through the regional U-19 league and join the best based on sporting principles. Some teams will be relegated, others will join; it will be an open ecosystem. The most important thing is to make this league competitive and turn it into a quality product.
In return, we received a counter-proposal from the clubs to resume competitions in the U-21 championship, and we, as UAF, supported this initiative. This will allow us to retain in football some players who may not have fully showcased themselves in the U-19 tournament or will provide playing practice for players regaining form after an injury, or those who did not get playing time in the first team match. This tournament is meant to harmoniously complement the entire competition ecosystem.
