UEFA must refuse the candidacy of Ukrainian parliamentarian Andriy Pavelko

UEFA must refuse the candidacy of Ukrainian parliamentarian Andriy Pavelko

SHERPA, in collaboration with the Ukrainian association Futures Initiatives, demands the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to reexamine Andriy Pavelko’s integration into the Union’s Executive Committee on ethical issues.

Andriy Pavelko, head of the Ukrainian Football Federation and member of the Ukrainian Parliament, is a candidate for membership of the UEFA Executive Committee. However, the functions of the Ukrainian parliamentarian offer an edifying case of plurality of offices strictly prohibited by the Council of Europe, namely sitting on a UEFA decision-making body while at the same time being a member of a parliament.

SHERPA and Futures Initiatives express their concern about the potential conflict of interests that could arise from the cumulation of private and public functions that that do not seem compatible with each other and underline the numerous press reports on corruption scandals alluding to the involvement of Andriy Pavelko.

According to UEFA’s statutes, one of the aims of the association is to “promote and protect ethical standards and good governance in European football” (Article 2 of the UEFA Statutes). According to article 7 bis of the same Statutes, “Member associations must conduct their affairs independently and without the undue influence of any third party”.

Recently, the revelations of the Football Leaks have highlighted practices that undermine the general interest and have revealed a need for accrued vigilance on economic and social issues affecting the world of football.

Thus, at a time when the ethics of the football world is so heavily questioned, SHERPA and Futur Initiatives urge the UEFA to consider the revelations surrounding Andriy Pavelko’s personality and to reconsider the suitability of his candidacy for joining the Union’s Executive Committee.