Andriy Shevchenko fears the West is beginning to forget about Ukraine’s war with Russia.
But after being elected as president of the country’s FA last week, the former Chelsea striker is working to ensure that thousands of young players who have fled their homeland do not become a “lost generation.”
Last Thursday all but one of 94 delegates voted for Shevchenko, who abstained, to assume a daunting role in charge of Ukrainian football.
And if there was no doubt over his popularity in the room at Kyiv’s House of Football, the challenge now is to make certain the rest of the world keeps the country’s struggle in mind.
“It’s true, the world’s attention has dropped a lot,” he says. “But sport is a good message. If our athletes can do well, if the national team performs well, if the Olympians do, we will bring the attention back to Ukraine.”
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That is why progressing from next month’s Euro 2024 play-offs carries such weight. Ukraine face Bosnia-Herzegovina away on March 21 with the winner playing Israel or Iceland for a place in June's tournament.
“It’s massive,” Shevchenko says. “We have a very talented team, a very good manager. To qualify for the Euros will mean a lot to us. It’s the big international stage for us and for Ukraine to be there would bring back attention. If we do very well, it will remind the world about Ukraine and the war.”
Andriy Shevchenko has moved into executive roles since his spell in charge of the Ukraine national team. (UEFA via Getty Images)But the core tenet of his manifesto is focused on locating the many talented boys and girls who have been displaced, a long-term project to protect the national team’s status.
An estimated six million people have left the country since early 2022, with another eight million relocated within the country. Shevchenko says many will end up in academies across Europe and the UK and he is desperate for them to grow up feeling a strong sense of attachment to their land of birth.
He has immediately set about creating an online database of players, admitting that the system being used up until now was well past its sell by date. “We want to know exactly where they are,” he says. “This is what we’re trying to implement immediately.
“A whole generation has had to move because of the war. It’s very important for us to create a relationship with these players in the future, encourage them to make the choice to play for the national team. We can still have a say in that and a future with these players. If not, we risk losing all our talents.”
Andriy Shevchenko splits his time between London and Ukraine - but has worked with those forced to flee since the beginning of the conflict. (Getty Images)An extension of that will be to seek assistance from other FAs. He adds: “I’m going to be very open: we need the rest of the world to help us. We need to be sustainable, for us that’s important, so anyone who wants to help will be very, very welcome.”
Shevchenko describes the current state of domestic football as “OK” and there “a lot of issues with finances.”
Yet he remains convinced the sport can be a vehicle for people to “overcome trauma” and the fact their Premier League has continued is testament to the commitment.
“Sometimes we’ve had to stop games for three or four hours if the missile sirens are coming and we need to shelter and restart,” he says. “These are the conditions we’re going through. But we cannot give up. We will carry on.”
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