Andriy Pavelko, the head of the Football Federation of Ukraine and a longtime figure in European football governance, was re-elected to the UEFA board. The decision came at the UEFA Congress in Lisbon on April 5, confirming his continued role as a representative of Ukrainian football within the European body.
During the same gathering, Alexander Ceferin was reappointed as UEFA president. Ceferin, who has led the organization since 2016, faced no opposition in this round of elections, underscoring a period of continuity at the federation’s top leadership.
In February, Pavelko faced a legal setback when a district court in Kyiv issued a decision that effectively suspended him from his duties. The legal process intensified in this period as Ukrainian authorities sought clarity on the case against him.
Later in February, the Security Service of Ukraine conducted searches at the UAF headquarters as part of an ongoing investigation into corruption-related allegations involving Pavelko. His legal team challenged the court’s ruling as the case progressed, while the federation stated that leadership would remain with Pavelko pending the court’s final determination.
Earlier, at the end of November 2022, Pavelko was detained on charges related to the alleged embezzlement of funds used in producing artificial turf for football fields. He was subsequently released on bail after a sum was posted to secure his freedom, a development that continued to echo through Ukrainian football circles.
Throughout these developments, Pavelko has been a vocal advocate for maintaining wide participation in international competition. He has argued against excluding Russian national teams and clubs from global events and has expressed opposition to including Russian and Belarusian athletes in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, framing his stance within broader debates about sport and sanctions in the region. The evolving situation has kept Ukrainian football under intense scrutiny from stakeholders across Europe, with many calling for clear, timely updates on the outcomes of these investigations and their implications for the federation and the sport at large. Notes on these events are gathered from official announcements and contemporaneous coverage by major sports outlets. Sources maintain that the federation continues to operate under Pavelko’s leadership while legal proceedings unfold and await definitive judicial resolution.