Andriy Pavelko: “2019 was the brightest in the history of Ukrainian football”

31.12.2019 12:00

2019 has become the brightest year in the history of Ukrainian football, said the president of the UAF, a member of the UEFA Executive Committee Andriy Pavelko in a New Year's greeting posted on his Facebook page:

It is difficult to determine which of our victories was key: the incredible triumph of the U-20 team, the gold medal of the Deaflympians at the European Championships, the exit of our women's futsal team to the Final Four of the continental championship, or the victory of our youth at the Tournament. Lobanovsky, for whom we have been waiting for 10 years, or tickets to the elite qualifying round of the U-17 and U-19 European Championship, or the incredible emotions that the national team gave us, making it to the 2020 European Championships from first place.

According to the president of the association, in addition to sports victories, 2019 was also the year of victories outside the football field. In particular, this is the so-called "Moraes case", won by UAF lawyers.

In addition, Andriy Pavelko reminded that 2019 was a year when many things in Ukrainian football were managed for the first time. In particular, it is the introduction of the VAR system and the match of the national team in Zaporozhye, which expanded the geography of performances of the main team of the country.

It should be noted the support of children's and youth football, which was also mentioned by the President of the UAF in his New Year's greetings.

We will remind that in 2019 the national team of Ukraine U-20 under the direction of Alexander Petrakov sensationally won gold of the world championship. For their victory, the players and the coaching staff of the team received a record number of prizes - 1 USD. Also, for the first time in the history of Ukrainian football, the first coaches of future world champions received prizes.

The achievement of the main team of the country, which reached the final part of Euro 2020 from the first place in the group, beating the current European champion - Portugal, also became historic. In addition, the national team of Ukraine under the leadership of Andriy Shevchenko did not lose a single match during the year.