Ukraine’s most celebrated footballer Andriy Shevchenko was elected president of the country’s football association (UAF) on Thursday, pledging to develop the sport amid the Russian invasion.
Shevchenko, who won the Champions League with AC Milan in 2003 and is Ukraine’s top goalscorer, has been a staunch opponent of Russia’s war, speaking out regularly against Moscow’s actions and using his profile to help raise funds for victims and refugees.
“A big and responsible task lies ahead — to develop Ukrainian football in the most difficult time in the history of Ukraine,” Shevchenko said on social media site X after his appointment.