A working meeting of the UAF, UPL and PFL was held with representatives of the Ministry of Youth Sports, the Ministry of Defense, the State Emergency Service and the National Police regarding the start of the 2023/2024 football season

27.07.2023 15:32

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

On Thursday, July 27, a working meeting of the leadership of the UAF, UPL and PFL with representatives of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and the National Police of Ukraine was held in the House of Football. 

The topic of the meeting, which was attended by UAF first vice-presidents Oleg Protasov and Vadym Kostyuchenko, UPL and PFL presidents Yevhen Dykiy and Oleksandr Kadenko, was the discussion of changes in additional security measures for the organization and holding of football matches in Ukraine among professional football clubs under martial law state Also, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine approved regulatory documents for holding competitions among UPL and PFL teams, approved this week by the UAF Executive Committee for the 2023/2024 season. 

The participants of the meeting discussed issues related to the start of the upcoming football season in the UPL and PFL competitions. In particular, Oleg Protasov, Yevhen Dykiy and Oleksandr Kadenko, in accordance with the received petitions from football clubs, suggested to those present to consider the possibility of increasing the number of accredited persons involved in the organization of the match. 

We would like to remind you that according to the current norms of the competition regulations, UPL and PFL football matches are played without spectators, with the participation of a total of up to 280 people involved in the organization of the match, including football players, coaching and technical staff, referees, persons responsible for security, media, staff the operator of the sports facility, representatives of the teams, the medical service, the State Emergency Service and the National Police, regional or city military administrations and state authorities, etc.

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

"I want to thank the Armed Forces of Ukraine and each of you, that with joint efforts we spent the first and, I hope, the last football season in martial law conditions," Oleg Protasov, the first vice-president of the UAF, addressed the audience at the opening of the meeting.

"Currently, there are requests from all UPL clubs regarding the return of fans to the stadiums and to review the quota of people who are allowed to attend football matches in the new season. Yes, there is a decision of the Ministry of Youth Sports to hold matches without spectators, and we understand the high degree of risk in this matter, because there is a war going on in the country, and there is no safe place from Russian bombings. Nevertheless, the previous season demonstrated shortcomings related to the current limit of persons involved in the organization of the match, which should be eliminated in the near future," UPL president Yevhen Dykiy said during the meeting.

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

"Today, the UAF receives many requests from military hospitals, where our soldiers undergo rehabilitation as a result of injuries received in the war, regarding the possibility of attending football matches. We see our mission as returning our heroes to a normal life through football and helping them socialize in society. Therefore, we consider it appropriate to increase the quota of persons involved in football events and the opportunity to support our defenders with this decision," Oleg Protasov said during his speech.

"UAF already has a positive experience of visits by military personnel to matches with the participation of the national team of Ukraine, which took place within the framework of the UEFA Nations League-2022/2023 and Euro-2024 qualification in Krakow, Poland, and Trnava, Slovakia. Such football visits are a real holiday for our soldiers and an opportunity for them to rest at least for a few hours from the war and all the disaster they witness at the front," added Vadym Kostyuchenko, the first vice-president of the UAF.

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

Representatives of football and state authorities reached a consensus on this issue, deciding to send appropriate appeals to regional/city military administrations, and to launch the work of special commissions at places where UPL and PFL football matches will be held in the 2023/2024 season. They should soon provide information on the capacity of stadiums to attract more people to football events, and in particular, the degree of preparedness of shelters to ensure the safety of match participants in the event of air raids.