Volodymyr Baienko: We should move towards Europe, not close the door to Europeans

The general director of Kryvyi Rih Kryvbas Volodymyr Bayenko expressed the club's position on the new UPL regulations, the limit on legionnaires and the compliance of Ukrainian football with European standards.

- Is there really an initiative among the UPL clubs to re-vote the decision on the new limit on legionnaires, which the clubs themselves adopted a few weeks ago?

- As far as I know, a letter was received that there will be a meeting on July 22 and there we will already communicate on three issues: the number of legionnaires, the number of Ukrainians on the field and another commercial issue.

- At the same time, the UAF executive committee has already approved the regulations based on the previous decision. Why did the clubs decide to re-vote now? What is the motivation of your club specifically?

- Any meeting of the UPL clubs is recorded. These recordings can be requested. All clubs voted for the regulations, which state that there is no longer a limit on football players with a European passport - according to the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. They will not be considered legionnaires. The regulations have been adopted.

Now some clubs are trying to change what they voted for earlier. It even sounds absurd. What future can we talk about this league if two weeks ago everyone made one decision, and then two weeks later they are collecting signatures to cancel everything. Next time, if someone doesn’t like something again, will we also gather and vote again on every occasion? This is the first thing.

Secondly, these regulations have already been sent to the UAF. After reviewing the document, they decided to leave three Ukrainians in the main squad on the field at the same time, and one football player with a European passport will not be considered a legionnaire. It turns out: “3 Ukrainians + 1 with a European passport + 7 football players with any other citizenship.” And what should we vote for now? The decision of the UAF executive committee has already been made. If we meet every week at the request of some club or clubs, we will never start the championship.

There are two weeks left until the start of the season, the clubs are completing their transfer campaigns. Having this document in their hands and understanding the rules of the game, the management built its transfer policy. How can we now reverse what has already been approved? This week we will gather, vote for one thing, next week we will decide something else and what? Maybe then some clubs will not play at all, or, on the contrary, play in another league? This is the position of our club as a whole, our president, and this is also my personal point of view.

There are norms that have been adopted, and there is judicial practice that will be used if this point of the regulation contradicts the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. I believe that after this regulation is adopted and not changed, this point will simply be canceled through the courts, because it violates the rights of European citizens in the country of Ukraine. It is clearly stated there that any discrimination against Ukrainians in Europe or Europeans in Ukraine is contrary to the Association Agreement between Ukraine and Europe, as well as Europe and Ukraine.

This document was signed a long time ago. If some of our figures do not take this factor into account, that is their problem. We have no legal grounds to introduce limits for EU citizens. Do we want to violate a document signed more than 10 years ago? This is absurd. I believe that we will deal with it through the courts. If there are grounds, it will be canceled. We are studying this issue very carefully.

- If there is another vote initiated by the clubs, what position will your club take?

- The position of our club is very simple - we must move to Europe. There is a war in Ukraine. And everyone who defends the country, who remains here, works for the state and pays taxes, strives for maximum European integration. We see our future in Europe. But how can we strive there if we ourselves close the doors to Europeans?

How do you want to have friendly and sociable relations with them? Our vision is clear and logical: we are for the limit on legionnaires to exist, but EU citizens should not be subject to it. And now, having this regulation, we are violating this Agreement, this document. Therefore, we are in favor of a limit that will not apply to Europeans. We are always in favor of working exclusively within the legal framework of Ukraine.

Press service of FC "Kryvbas" Kryvyi Rih according to the materials UA.tribuna.com