The Ukrainian Association of Football (Ukrainian: Українська асоціація футболу, romanized: Ukrayins'ka Asotsiatsiya Futbolu, IPA: [ʊkrɐˈjinʲsʲkɐ ɐsots⁽ʲ⁾iˈɑts⁽ʲ⁾ijɐ fʊdˈbɔlʊ]; UAF) is the governing body of football in Ukraine. Before 2019, it was known as the Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU; Ukrainian: Федерація Футболу України, romanized: Federatsiya Futbolu Ukrayiny). As a subject of the International Olympic Movement, UAF is a member of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine. UAF is also member of international football organizations such as UEFA and FIFA.
The Ukrainian Football Association governs all sport events and organizations associated with the game of football including irregular competitions of beach football, mini-football, street football and others. Its main features include football competitions including the Ukrainian Professional League, the Ukrainian Cup, the Amatory, the competitions among the youth (under-18), and also the Ukraine national football team. It also sets the regulations to the Premier League and the Professional Football League.
It is headquartered in the national capital, Kyiv near the Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex at the House of Football.
The organization was established in 1991 during the dissolution of the Soviet Union when Ukraine was still a union republic of the Soviet Union. The creation of the organization compared with similar organizations of other former union republics of the Soviet Union was among last. Previously between 1932 and 1991 with the Football Federation of the Soviet Union there existed its direct predecessor, Football Federation of Ukraine (Ukrainian SSR). The Soviet federation of Ukraine also conducted own championship, cup competitions, competitions among amateur teams (collectives of physical culture), as well as had own national team which participated exclusively in Soviet competitions such as the Spartakiad of Peoples of the USSR.
Contents
History
Organizations' names
All-Ukrainian Football Union (1918)
Football Section of the Ukrainian SSR (1932–1959)
Football Federation of the Ukrainian SSR (1959–1991)
Football Federation of Ukraine (1991– May 2019)
Ukrainian Football Association (May 2019 – present)
The first governing body was created in summer of 1918 in Kharkiv as All-Ukrainian Football Union by its constituent assembly. The chairman of the Union became V. Agiton, while a secreatary-treasurer – B. Shifrin.
After the Bolshevik's occupation, in 1932 there was created the All-Ukrainian Football Section in Kharkiv and was part of the Ukrainian Council of Physical Culture that administered all types of sports. The first elected president was a Kharkiv football referee Oleksandr Yakovych Levitin who published a book "Game rules of football in questions and answers" (Ukrainian: "Правила гри у футбол у питаннях і відповідях"). In 1934 after the capital of the Ukrainian SSR was transferred from Kharkiv to Kyiv, there was moved the Council of Physical Culture along with its football section. Levitin was replaced for not being not really a correct person with another Kharkiv football specialist Ivan Serhiyovych Kosmachov.
On 27 December 1934, on resolution of the All-Union Council of Physical Culture (VSFK) of the Soviet Union, there was established Football-Hockey section as the higher public organization in administration of football in the country and had to help the VSFK. During that period there started a struggle between people's commissariats and trade union for the right to lead the physical culture movement. Trade unions started actively create volunteer sports societies (the first were "Spartak" and "Lokomotiv"). However, already in 1936 took place big changes when the VSKF that existed at the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union was liquidated and instead at the Council of People's Commissariats (Sovnarkom) was created the All-Union Committee in affairs of Physical Culture and Sports (VKFK) which also contained a department of football and hockey as well as the public Football Section. In Ukraine was created the Ukrainian Committee in affairs of Physical Culture and Sports (UKFK) at the Ukrainian Council of People's Commissars and quartered in Kyiv. The committee supervised 15 oblasts committees along with the Committee of Moldavian ASSR quartered in Tiraspol.
Foundation in independent Ukraine
On 6 March 1991, thanks to Viktor Maksymovych Bannikov, the Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU) was established as part of the Football Federation of the Soviet Union (FFSU). However, it was still fully controlled and subordinated to Moscow's main governing body.
On 24 August 1991, the Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovna Rada) by its Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine expressed its intent of casting away from Soviet Union and create a sovereign state – Ukraine. After these events, the executive committee of Football Federation of the Ukrainian SSR decided to have a plenum at the beginning of December where the future of the growth of the national sport would be defined.
However, until then, the following events took place that contributed to a certain degree of confusion.
At the beginning of September, a joint conference of the governing body of the federation and the national football society took place where it was announced that internal institutes would subordinate to Moscow.
In October a meeting between Viktor Bannikov and the president UEFA, Lennart Johansson, took place. The president of the European Football Union promised to fully support Ukraine in joining the European football organization.
About the fact that a new nation appeared on the world map, the world society recognized it on 1 December 1991 after the conduct of the All-national referendum.
After all that, on 13 December in the big hall of the State Committee of Physical Culture and Sport (also later known as Ministry in affairs of the Youth, Sport, and Tourism), the Council of Federations in one voice accepted the following declaration:
In accordance with the All-national referendum of 1 December 1991, Ukraine has become an independent state. The Football Federation of Ukraine – sovereign, independent, public organization that does not belong to any federation of foreign states. The Federation takes full jurisdiction over the protection of the rights of players, coaches, and football specialists.
Russian invasion of Ukraine
The association announced the suspension of the Ukrainian Premier League on 24 February 2022, the day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Officials
Presidents
Viktor Bannikov (December 1991 – July 1996)
Valeriy Pustovoytenko (July 1996 – August 2000), Prime Minister of Ukraine from 16 July 1997 to 30 November 1999
Hryhoriy Surkis (16 August 2000 – 2 September 2012), reelected in 2004 and 2007
Anatoliy Konkov (2 September 2012 – 6 March 2015)
Andriy Pavelko (acting 26 January 2015 – 6 March 2015)
Andriy Pavelko (6 March 2015 – 25 January 2024), reelected in 2017
since 13 March 2023 – 25 January 2024, presidential powers were suspended
Oleh Protasov (acting 11 May 2023 – 24 January 2024)
Andriy Shevchenko (since 25 January 2024)
First vice-presidents
Yevhen Kotelnykov
Serhiy Storozhenko
Anatoliy Bidenko
Oleksandr Bandurko
Vadym Kostyuchenko
Ihor Kochetov
Nazar Kholodnytskyi
Executive Committee
Viktor Andrukhiv
Viktor Bezsmertny
Andriy Bondarenko
Sergiy Vladyko
Irek Hataullin
Taras Herula
UEFA members from Ukraine
2023–2027
Hryhoriy Surkis – honored president
Andriy Pavelko – member of the UEFA Executive Committee, deputy chairman of the UEFA committee on youth and amateur football, deputy chairman of the UEFA committee on futsal and beach football
Yuriy Zapisotskyi – second vice-deputy chairman of the UEFA clubs' licensing committee
Oleksiy Mykhailychenko – member of the UEFA national teams committee
Vadym Kostyuchenko – member of the UEFA committee of "Hat-trick program"
Volodymyr Heninson – member of the UEFA committee on stadiums and security
Oleh Protasov – member of the UEFA committee on football
Ihor Hryshchenko – inspector on ethics and disciplinary issues
Andriy Bondarenko – member of the UEFA expert group on administrative issues
Oleksandr Kadenko – member of the UEFA expert group on issues of mass football
Structure
Main governing institutions
The main decisions of all-national importance are discussed at the meetings of the Congress of Football Federation of Ukraine (FFU). Congress also elects the president and vice-presidents (presidential cabinet) of federation and confirms several football government bodies such as presidium, executive committee, appellation committee, and others. The congress is more of a legislative body of government and sets goals and directions for the development of football in the country. All official meetings of various football government institutions take place at the "Building of Football" (Budynok futbolu) in Kyiv.
All structural and organizational issues are executed by the Executive Committee (Vykonkom). The executive committee consists of about 30 people and includes the presidential cabinet of federation. To assist the executive committee there exists a presidium which organizes the meetings of the Vykonkom. The presidium composed of 16 people, among which are all the members of the presidential cabinet as well.
Committees and collective members
The federation also has two judicial bodies of government: the control disciplinary committee (KDK) and the appellation committee. Those are small committees and are confirmed by the congress of Football Federation of Ukraine.
Aside of the above-mentioned organizations there are numerous other committees and directorates that supplement in the organization of football events in Ukraine. Among the most important are the Committee of professional football, the Committee of national teams, the Committee of referees, the Expert Commission, the Council of a strategic development of professional football, and many others.
There are also collective members of federation that include various public organizations such as regional federation, student associations, independent leagues, travel agencies, others. The importance of collective members is that every single one of them can delegate up to three its representatives to the Congress and announce its own candidates on the position of the president.
Collective members
Premier League of Ukraine
Professional Football League of Ukraine
Ukrainian Football Amateur Association (National championship among the regions, National cup)
Association of football veterans
Association of mini-football of Ukraine (Futsal)
Association of beach football of Ukraine
Football association of handicapped
27 regional football federations
All-Ukrainian football association of students
Children-Youth football league of Ukraine (Ukrainian National Youth Competition)
League of Street Football
Youth Football Union
Committee of fitness education and sports of Ministry of Education
Sports office of Ministry of Defense (CSK ZSU)
Central Council of Sports Club "Spartak" of Trade-unions of Ukraine
Central Council of Fitness Sports Club of Ukraine "Dynamo"
Central Council of Fitness Sports Club of Ukraine "Kolos"
Central Council of Fitness Sports Club "Ukraine"
Associated members
Association of Women Football (Ukrainian Women's League, WFPL)
Congresses
The list of recent congress meetings. Congresses take place every year. Each FFU collective member sends three delegates.
On 18 December 2014, in Kyiv took place the UAF Congress which expressed its vote of no confidence to president Anatoliy Konkov with "aye" 36 out of 47 collective members including 20 regional associations. The general director of FC Hoverla Uzhhorod, Ivan Shits, commented that some "collective members" are organizations of unknown origin.
Following another congress in 2015, the general director of FC Shakhtar Donetsk Serhiy Palkin called it "a fake" explaining that among collective members is a random traveling agency that has as many delegates to the congress as the Ukrainian Premier League.
Fighting corruption
After German weekly news magazine "Der Spiegel" published its investigation titled "How did the UEFA payments get to the British Virgin Islands?" the UAF addressed the State Bureau of Investigations, Prosecutor General's Office and the Internal Ministry of Ukraine filing a claim that Hryhorii Surkis, former president of the Football Federation of Ukraine, has committed a criminal offence stealing hundreds of millions Euro.
According to "Der Spiegel", starting from 1999 (that is for almost 15 years) the UEFA has been transferring the money (in general €380 million) allocated for the Football Federation (now Ukrainian Association of Football) to Newport management Ltd. – an offshore entity.
This company is registered in the British Virgin Islands and, according to the publication, is controlled by Hryhorii Surkis, who had been chairing the FFU from 2000 till 2012, and who's been a member of the UEFA executive committee for more than 10 years until February 2019).
In March 2018 at the FFU Executive Committee the FFU first vice-president Oleksandr Bandurko was accused of wasting 2 million euros back in 2003 when he along with Hryhoriy Surkis announced construction of a training center for national team in suburb of Kyiv, Horenychi.
On 19 February 2020 Andriy Pavelko was forced to sign his letter of resignation as a chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.
In October 2022, owner of FC Rukh Lviv, Hryhoriy Kozlovskyi, accused the UAF president in the collapse of Ukrainian football.
On 29 November 2022 both the UAF president Andriy Pavelko and general secretary Yuriy Zapisotskyi were placed in jail on the order of the Pecherska District Courty of Kyiv City. Their bond was set to 9,880 thousands hryvnias.
On 17 February 2023 the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv City granted the request for removal from office the UAF president Andriy Pavelko. Earlier on 29 November 2022, Mr.Pavelko has been issued arrest by the court in connection with the disappearance of a million euros on a scheme with the construction of a factory of artificial coverings for football fields. Between 2018 and 2020, there were opened 12 criminal proceedings against Pavelko, but none were finalized. Coincidently Pavelko's lawyer is "kindred" (godparenting) with Artem Sytnyk (former National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine director).
National teams
Ukraine national football team
Ukraine women's national football team
Ukraine national under-21 football team (also known as the youth team, participates in qualifications for the Olympic tournament)
Ukraine youth women national football team (under 19)
Ukraine student football team
Other national and junior football teams
National team tournaments
Valeri Lobanovsky Memorial Tournament
Viktor Bannikov Memorial Tournament
Others