This project is supported by UEFA’s “Football and Refugees” grant and implemented by the UAF's Sports and Technical Department.

The UEFA C-Diploma program provides qualified training in line with UEFA requirements for coaches, enhancing their knowledge, skills, and qualifications, especially those working with youth and amateur teams.

The training, which started in September, includes both theoretical and practical components, with the latter involving work with children.

One of the participants, 24-year-old Davyd, shared his journey in football, starting with FC Vorskla (Poltava), where he signed his first professional contract. He later played abroad for Slovakian club FC Slovan (Hlohovec) before returning to Ukraine to play for FC Mynai’s U-21 team. Davyd is now an active player for SC Vilkhivtsi, a Second League club.

Photo by UAF press service

“I expect to gain a new perspective on football from a coach’s point of view and continue growing in this direction. My main motivation is to help nurture a strong generation of Ukrainian children who can proudly represent our country. The first session was very positive: highly qualified instructors, excellent organization of the training process. I gained a lot of valuable new information, which only strengthens my desire to develop as a coach,” Davyd shared.

The selection process also focused on encouraging the participation of women.

After the full-scale war began, 21-year-old Yelyzaveta was forced to relocate. Originally from Nyzhche Solone, Kharkiv Oblast, near the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts, she shared her story:

"I’ve been involved in sports since childhood. I started playing futsal seriously around the age of 10, as we didn’t have enough players for football in our village. I played as a goalkeeper, like my father. In the ninth grade, I joined the futsal team Atlet and became a field player.

We traveled across Ukraine and competed in many tournaments. The most memorable was the First League Championship of Ukraine, where we won silver, and I was invited to join FC Kobra. It was the start of the U-17 football championship in Ukraine, and I decided to give it a shot, playing as a left-back. Eventually, I transitioned to football.

Photo by UAF press service

During the winter, we switched to futsal, and since I had experience as a goalkeeper, the coach wanted to see how I performed in goal. A goalkeeper’s key traits are reaction and communication, and I had those. So, my role changed from defender to goalkeeper in both futsal and football. A year later, the full-scale war began, and I didn't play for six months. After relocating to Kyiv, I was invited to the futsal team WFK Synelnykove, where I still play, and last summer I also joined WFK Mariupol."

Yelyzaveta hopes to gain as much knowledge as possible to help her develop as a coach.

“My motivation lies in helping the children in de-occupied territories, many of whom don’t have the opportunity to travel to big cities for development. I want to help them grow not only physically but also mentally and spiritually. Football is about more than just physical form — it’s crucial in today’s world, as children are our future. The first session gave me a lot of foundational knowledge that will support my coaching career,” Yelyzaveta concluded.

Candidates who pass the exams will receive their licenses in December.