Andriy Shevchenko, Ukraine’s most celebrated footballer, was chosen president of the country’s football association (UAF) on Thursday, promising to grow the sport in the face of the Russian invasion.
Shevchenko, who won the Champions League with AC Milan in 2003 and is Ukraine’s leading goal scorer, has been a vocal critic of Russia’s war, speaking out against Moscow’s actions on a regular basis and using his platform to help raise funds for victims and refugees.
“A big and responsible task lies ahead — to develop Ukrainian football in the most difficult period in Ukraine’s history,” Shevchenko stated on social media site X following his appointment.
The 47-year-old told a press conference in Kyiv that he will work hard to promote the game despite the “very difficult conditions of the full-scale war”.
The former Chelsea, AC Milan and Dynamo Kyiv striker also committed to fight out corruption at the body, following a graft scandal that saw his predecessor imprisoned on fraud charges.
Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky has worked to pursue an anti-corruption agenda at home, which is a critical need for Kyiv’s ambition to join the European Union.
“It is very important for us to be transparent,” Shevchenko said, insisting he would oversee an audit of the association.
The 2004 Ballon d’Or winner was Ukraine’s head coach from 2016 to 2021, bringing them to the Euro 2020 quarterfinals, where they were defeated by England.
Football in Ukraine has not spared the effects of the conflict. The season was suspended when Russia invaded, and games were relocated to the safer western region of the country.
The national team has been obliged to play its home games in adjacent Poland.
Ukraine is currently in the playoffs for Euro 2024 qualification. Weeks after Russia invaded, Ukraine nearly missed qualifying for the 2022 World Cup at a comparable stage.