We’ll develop grassroots football
Friday, May 18, 2018
|
During the event dedicated to the signing of a memorandum of co-operation between FC Shakhtar and DTEK, the Shakhtar CEO Sergei Palkin answered the questions from reporters
- In Ukraine, less than 1% of the population are engaged in football. How big is this problem, according to you?
- I already said that without grassroots football, there’s nothing to talk about in professional football. We will soon enthusiastically watch the Champions League final, and at that moment we need to understand that once upon a time we should be present there. But to get there, we have to cover a very and very long way. I’m talking not only from the club football perspective, I also speak from the point of view of our national team. Once again, I want to repeat that without grassroots football that’s impossible. Everything should be done not only at the club level but also at the state level.
- Sergei Anatolyevich, Shakhtar participated in various social projects on multiple occasions, including those dedicated to children. Now you are creating a whole fund. What’s the difference and what kind of results do you expect?
- Why are we creating the fund? Because, in fact, a lot of work has been done, many initiatives of FC Shakhtar on our social activity, and this is due not only to children's grassroots football but also due to charitable activities. And there are so many projects already that, frankly, it got impossible to manage them at the departmental level, or at the level of any single project, or a separate group of people. So originated the idea to create a fund. This fund is non-profit, therefore everything it gets will be allocated to the development of grassroots football, football for children with disabilities and many other projects.
- Please explain in more detail about Shakhtar Social and what other projects will be implemented?
- As I said, 60 to 70 percent is the development of grassroots football. We will also implement projects for the children with disabilities in order to involve them in football. Then, when we talk about grassroots football, it will be football not only for boys but also for girls. After all, as we know, there’s the Champions League in women's football. Therefore, we will work in this direction as well. Plus the charity we used to deal with – aiding the hospitals and many more other things. Besides, we want to make a joint project with some major organizations, such as the UNO, along with projects at the level of UEFA and FIFA.
- Sergei Anatolyevich, you sounded the idea of the development of women's football. Don’t you plan to create some major women’s team?
- Let's start with the children's grassroots football, and then we'll see how it will develop. I want to repeat that women's football is also an integral part of our football activity. We must invest and be involved in it. I think football for girls is just as important today as football for boys.
- There’s such a practice that European top clubs open their branches, children's schools in other countries. Does Shakhtar plan anything like that?
- You know, we have such Augean stables in Ukraine that we don’t have to think about other countries yet. In fact, we’ve got lots of work to do in our country: there are things to invest into, and things to do, and things to manage, and things to achieve. Therefore, as I said, our objectives are serious. We all want to see the Ukrainian clubs and the national team at the top. And to achieve that outcome, one must constantly think about how to develop mass sports, and in particular grassroots football. Because it's easy to artificially develop professional clubs – that’s good, but the result is not significant.
- How did you convince Paulo Fonseca to sign a new contract?
- There was no such thing as someone trying to convince someone else to sign anything. Fonseca wanted to stay – that’s the major factor. Had Paulo had no desire, then, I can assure you, there were many clubs interested in him. Our desire and that of his coincided. It seems to me, the fans are also happy about this event.
- Do you know what clubs made those proposals?
- Everybody knows that! Napoli, West Ham and many others. Paulo Fonseca is on everyone's lips in Europe. We signed a deal with Fonseca. As our fans write, this is by far our major acquisition.
- Did Fonseca voice any wishes for the squad formation, the transfers?
- Everything goes in the working mode and doesn’t differ from what happened before. We meet, discuss the players and roles that require some strengthening.
- Is the letter from Empoli about Matviienko true?
- I received that letter. But I can say that Matviienko remains in the team.
- I already said that without grassroots football, there’s nothing to talk about in professional football. We will soon enthusiastically watch the Champions League final, and at that moment we need to understand that once upon a time we should be present there. But to get there, we have to cover a very and very long way. I’m talking not only from the club football perspective, I also speak from the point of view of our national team. Once again, I want to repeat that without grassroots football that’s impossible. Everything should be done not only at the club level but also at the state level.
- Sergei Anatolyevich, Shakhtar participated in various social projects on multiple occasions, including those dedicated to children. Now you are creating a whole fund. What’s the difference and what kind of results do you expect?
- Why are we creating the fund? Because, in fact, a lot of work has been done, many initiatives of FC Shakhtar on our social activity, and this is due not only to children's grassroots football but also due to charitable activities. And there are so many projects already that, frankly, it got impossible to manage them at the departmental level, or at the level of any single project, or a separate group of people. So originated the idea to create a fund. This fund is non-profit, therefore everything it gets will be allocated to the development of grassroots football, football for children with disabilities and many other projects.
- Please explain in more detail about Shakhtar Social and what other projects will be implemented?
- As I said, 60 to 70 percent is the development of grassroots football. We will also implement projects for the children with disabilities in order to involve them in football. Then, when we talk about grassroots football, it will be football not only for boys but also for girls. After all, as we know, there’s the Champions League in women's football. Therefore, we will work in this direction as well. Plus the charity we used to deal with – aiding the hospitals and many more other things. Besides, we want to make a joint project with some major organizations, such as the UNO, along with projects at the level of UEFA and FIFA.
- Sergei Anatolyevich, you sounded the idea of the development of women's football. Don’t you plan to create some major women’s team?
- Let's start with the children's grassroots football, and then we'll see how it will develop. I want to repeat that women's football is also an integral part of our football activity. We must invest and be involved in it. I think football for girls is just as important today as football for boys.
- There’s such a practice that European top clubs open their branches, children's schools in other countries. Does Shakhtar plan anything like that?
- You know, we have such Augean stables in Ukraine that we don’t have to think about other countries yet. In fact, we’ve got lots of work to do in our country: there are things to invest into, and things to do, and things to manage, and things to achieve. Therefore, as I said, our objectives are serious. We all want to see the Ukrainian clubs and the national team at the top. And to achieve that outcome, one must constantly think about how to develop mass sports, and in particular grassroots football. Because it's easy to artificially develop professional clubs – that’s good, but the result is not significant.
- How did you convince Paulo Fonseca to sign a new contract?
- There was no such thing as someone trying to convince someone else to sign anything. Fonseca wanted to stay – that’s the major factor. Had Paulo had no desire, then, I can assure you, there were many clubs interested in him. Our desire and that of his coincided. It seems to me, the fans are also happy about this event.
- Do you know what clubs made those proposals?
- Everybody knows that! Napoli, West Ham and many others. Paulo Fonseca is on everyone's lips in Europe. We signed a deal with Fonseca. As our fans write, this is by far our major acquisition.
- Did Fonseca voice any wishes for the squad formation, the transfers?
- Everything goes in the working mode and doesn’t differ from what happened before. We meet, discuss the players and roles that require some strengthening.
- Is the letter from Empoli about Matviienko true?
- I received that letter. But I can say that Matviienko remains in the team.