Metalist Kharkiv coach Myron Markevych is against the possible creation of a joint football league between Ukrainian and Russian clubs.
“You know my attitude to it. Of course, it’s not for me to decide, but this is complete nonsense. This is unacceptable for me as Metalist coach. I will not make a decision, but I’m against it,” he said at a press conference ahead of his team’s return match against England’s Newcastle in the Europa League round of 32.
As reported, the strategy of the proposed tournament was announced at a meeting of the Unified Football Championship independent non-profit organization in Moscow on February 18. The director of the organization, Valery Gazzaev, said that the unified league’s budget would be $1 billion. He said that it was planned that the championship would be held for the first time in the 2014/2015 season and that 18 teams would participate in it (the nine strongest Russian and Ukrainian teams in the 2013/2014 season).
Acting Director General of the Ukrainian Premier League Petro Ivanov said that the position of Ukrainian clubs on the idea of creating a unified league would be disclosed later.
“I was a guest. The Ukrainian clubs have not yet adopted their position, because there are no materials. The Ukrainian Premier League is made up of clubs, so we must first hear the views of the clubs, and then draw conclusions. The position of the Ukrainian clubs will be adopted after Russian clubs themselves decide on this issue,” he said.
On February 20, Ivanov told Interfax-Ukraine that Ukrainian clubs would be able to discuss their possible participation in a joint football league only after UEFA announces its official position on this issue.
On February 13, President of the Football Federation of Ukraine Anatoliy Konkov said: “I believe that any actions aimed at creating, without our explicit permission or the permission of FIFA or UEFA, any leagues or other groups of clubs, is an unprecedented violation of the provisions and requirements of the statutes of FIFA, UEFA and FFU.”
