Today, April 16, the XXVVIII Congress of the Ukrainian Football Association began in Uzhhorod. Within its framework, for the first time in history, a forum between the UAFA and FIFA titled "The Development of Ukrainian Football Amidst War" took place.

Thanks to the congress, which gathered the maximum football audience from Ukraine in one location, representatives of all regional associations had the opportunity to see and hear the presentation by FIFA's technical advisor Gaioz Darsadze. They received concentrated useful information and statistics prepared by FIFA.

The presentation by Darsadze is particularly interesting. He played professional football as a striker. In fact, at the end of the 1980s, Gaioz finished his football career with Kherson's Crystal. A specialist who has been working in FIFA for a long time and has coaching experience: he coached Georgia, where Ukraine's national team met in the qualifying round to the historic Euro 2006.

It is worth noting that the presentation by FIFA's representative will be translated into Ukrainian and distributed to all regional associations of UAFA.

Special attention was given to the registration of football players and sports infrastructure in the presentation. It was this aspect that Igor Dedyshin, technical director of the Ukrainian Football Association and moderator of the forum, commented on in an interview with UAFA's press service:

"We have many football fields, but we need to understand their state. The main task of the association is not direct construction of infrastructure but organizing the process of its development. First, we are developing a strategy. We must have a clear vision — a deep understanding of what exactly is needed for the development of football. This vision is embodied in a strategy that we will later convey to all interested parties, solidifying it not only at the level of UAFA but also at the state level.

One of the most pressing issues discussed during the presentation was the number of registered players. Currently, only 695 thousand players are registered in our database — this includes both professionals and amateurs. According to UEFA estimates, there are approximately 309 thousand registered players in Ukraine. But I am convinced that the actual number of people who regularly play football is much larger. If we take everyone from children to veterans, then our potential is close to one million.

We are developing a new digital platform — FMS. Our task is to ensure that every player in each regional association and in every tournament is registered.

On the presentation, head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Football Association Mykhailo Belyy shared his thoughts with UAFA's press service:

"What was discussed resonates in my heart. The key is systematization and comprehensiveness. It is not so much about the community, but about consolidating efforts of all parties. Because now the regional administration, Ministry of Sport, oblast football association, city council, and coaches each work on football in their own way. This results in a fragmented movement. We need general consolidation because everyone interested in football understands the importance of this sporting process for uniting the nation. In my opinion, football is one of the simplest and most important tools that can 'sew' our country together."

The idea of former football star, ex-captain of the Ukraine national team and current FC Dniz coach Oleksandr Golovka was also interesting:

"Today I am speaking as a representative of the coaching community. What we heard and saw is a significant step forward. The point is that, as coaches, we usually work on feelings: we see players, fields, games, but we lack numbers and an objective picture of where we actually stand.

The presented system and strategic vision give us the necessary tool. Now we can not just say 'I think so,' but rely on specific data: how many players we have, their age, and where they train.

The most important thing is continuity. Speaking about the preparation of national teams, we must understand that children do not come from nowhere — they come from the same playgrounds that were mentioned today. If there is no base and registration at the regional level, then national teams will constantly face problems in selecting players. Therefore, the consolidation mentioned by colleagues is extremely important. A coach cannot be separated from an administrator, and an administrator — from the state. We are all in one boat. Such a digital approach and transparency will make our football competitive in Europe.