First Deputy Chairman of the UAF Oleg Protasov published a post on his Facebook stating that he was the one who informed FIFA and UEFA that a virtual Executive Committee was planned for 20 December:
“The facts of unprecedented pressure on the members of the Executive Committee of the Football Federation of Ukraine, the leadership of the Association and its regional representatives are now known not only in Ukraine, but also abroad. We are talking about attempts to hold a meeting of the Executive Committee of the UAF on December 20 on the basis of fake protocols and signatures.
This is the first time I personally come across such dirty methods of humiliation of the Ukrainian football community. Being the first deputy chairman of the UAF, abiding by the football rules governing the activities of FIFA, UEFA and the national football federations, I informed the international football authorities about the intentions of third parties to carry out a literally marauding takeover of the Ukrainian home of football.
It is expected that the global football community cannot and will not turn a blind eye to attempts to organize illegal elections for the UAF. And it’s not about Pavelko or Protasov. The fact is that the membership of national football federations in international bodies is guaranteed exclusively by strict observance of the statutes of UEFA and FIFA and, consequently, by the independence of the activities of national football structures.
Any violation of this rule “may lead to the suspension of the UAF’s membership of FIFA and UEFA pursuant to Article 16 of the FIFA Statutes and Article 9 of the UEFA Statutes. The organizations themselves underline this in the letter.
Like FIFA and UEFA, I personally hope that the “looters” and those who ordered the act of destroying the authority of Ukrainian football have the courage to admit their mistakes. Recognize that it is impossible to kill the UAF – and these are hundreds of thousands of players (adults, juniors, children), coaches, referees across the country – at the request of some employees, both in the Office of the President of Ukraine, or somewhere else.
We respect the merits of Ukrainian football and do not destroy its reputation. For this, little is needed: compliance with world rules for the functioning of football and fulfillment of the requirements of football charters. Moreover, for more than 30 years of independence of Ukraine, we have been able to!
PS It’s a pity that against the backdrop of the 2022 World Cup finals, there should be no talk of football … Argentina and Lionel Messi – with one win!
Earlier it became known that FIFA and UEFA officially warned UAF: if a virtual Executive Committee is held on December 20 (in which the suspension of the UAF President is envisaged Andrei Pavelko and appoint in its place Andriy Shevchenko), then the UAF will be excluded from UEFA and FIFA.
The main reason for such a position of FIFA and UEFA in relation to the UAF is the possibility of violating the UAF charter. According to it, only the president of the institution can convene a meeting of the Executive Committee, while it must necessarily take place with his participation or with the participation of one of the vice presidents, who will be given a specific written instruction.
