Ukraine's top football officials arrested

 

Andriy Pavelko at a press conference in October announcing Ukraine’s joint bid with Spain and Portugal to host the World Cup in 2030 Photograph: Martial Trezzini/AP

 

Two leading officials in Ukraine’s football association, including its head, have been arrested over fraud and money-laundering allegations related to the construction of an artificial grass factory.

Andriy Pavelko, the president of the Ukraine FA, and Yuri Zapisotsky, the association’s general secretary, are accused of “embezzling” 26.5m Ukrainian Hryvnia (£600,000).

The two men were ordered to be held in custody until 22 January to allow further investigation or be released on bail of £200,000 on condition that they do not leave Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, or contact witnesses.

The development is likely to kill off a joint bid Ukraine has made with Spain and Portugal to co-host the 2030 World Cup in a move that had been sanctioned by the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy.