Ukraine’s most successful footballer Andriy Shevchenko has been elected president of the country’s football association (UAF), pledging to develop the sport despite the ongoing Russian invasion.
Shevchenko, who won the Champions League with AC Milan in 2003 and is Ukraine’s record goalscorer, has been a staunch opponent of Russia’s war, speaking out regularly against Moscow’s actions and using his profile to help raise funds for victims and refugees.
Shevchenko in a post on X, said “A big and responsible task lies ahead — to develop Ukrainian football in the most difficult time in the history of Ukraine”.
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The 47-year-old told a press conference in Kyiv he would strive to advance the game in the “very difficult conditions of the full-scale war”.
The former Chelsea, AC Milan and Dynamo Kyiv striker also pledged to stamp out corruption at the body, following a scandal that saw his predecessor arrested on fraud charges.
“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 head coach of Ukraine from 2016 to 2021 leading them to the Euro 2020 quarter-finals, where they lost 4-0 to England.
