Ukrainian Football Federation Won't Sign Off On Super League With Russia, Post-Soviet States

The Ukrainian Football Federation "will not breach the current structure of world football" to accommodate a unified football league with Russia and other post-Soviet states, according to R-Sport. Russian officials "see a revival of the old Soviet Top League" with teams from across the Commonwealth of Independent States serving as "a potential cash cow" that can attract sponsorship, TV revenues and help clubs conform to UEFA Financial Fair Play rules. However, UFF President Anatoly Konkov said Wednesday that the idea "is a non-starter." Konkov said, "The UFF is against the destruction of the world football pyramid, the integrity and system of holding competitions." Konkov also added that "attempts to circumvent the federation on the issue could result in legal action." Konkov: "I believe that any actions directed toward creating any kind of leagues or other unifications of clubs without our express permission are an unprecedented violation of the statutes of FIFA, UEFA and the UFF, and will be viewed in the context of taking measures for disciplinary responsibility" (R-SPORT, 2/13).