Sheva offered Ukraine job as Ukraine coach

KIEV - Agence France-Presse

Former Ukraine star striker Andriy Shevchenko has been offered the job of national head coach, Ukraine’s Football Federation (FFU) chief Anatoly Konkov revealed yesterday.

“Shevchenko has experience of playing in great clubs such as Dynamo Kiev, AC Milan and Chelsea under the management of legendary coaches Valery Lobanovsky, Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho,” Konkov said. “He has a unique opportunity to adopt their methods, their knowledge and talents.”

The FFU chief, who once called Shevchenko into his under-21 and later Ukraine squad, said that he considered the 36-year-old’s youth to be a “positive factor.”

“Just remember that unknown young coach Josep Guardiola (Barcelona) has achieved tremendous results in just several years,” Konkov said. “I’m confident that Shevchenko is also capable of achieving serious heights as the national team’s manager. He has enough experience and character for it. The federation meanwhile will provide him with everything necessary to help him in his work.”

The position has been vacant since Oleg Blokhin’s departure for Dynamo Kiev. Although Ukraine drew 1-1 in England in its 2014 World Cup qualifiers, it also lost at home to Montenegro and drew with Moldova, leaving the country second from bottom of Group H.