Ukraine occupies a geopolitically enhanced status at the moment. With significant western backing, Yushchenko stripped Kyiv from the Russian sphere of influence via one of those pseudo-revolutions that spectacular society presented to us a couple of years back. In the intervening period, Moscow has reasserted some control as Ukraine (like Georgia) oscillates on the new Cold War Frontline.
Typically, Ukrainian football mirrors this uproar. The two top teams in the country represent very different regions. Dynamo Kyiv are from the reformist capital while Shakhtar Donetsk come from eastern steel region around Odessa where the Soviet Union still exists! The level of corruption in the Ukrainian game is seriously undermining the sport. The Surkis brothers, Ihor and Hryhorii, are respectively president of Dynamo Kyiv and president of the football federation that chooses the match officials. The recent Donetsk/ Kyiv game was officiated by Paulo Gomes from Portugal as all Ukrainian referees were unacceptable to one side or the other. Controversy still reigned as Gomes sent off Shakhtar defender Chygrynskyi and manager Mircea Lucescu during Kyiv's 1-0 win.
Of course, this matters to FIFA and UEFA who continue to show a startling correlation between western-backed coups and the qualification for major tournaments (see http://footballisfixed.blogspot.com/2006/11/great-white-satan-1-iran-0.html). When Yushchenko seized control, Ukraine received considerable assistance in qualifying for the most recent World Cup - the implication being that once a country agrees to be controlled by the west, it receives certain spectacular society favours.
© Football Is Fixed/Dietrological
