Far Post: A Soccer Secession

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By Eliot Rothwell, The Far Post

In 1992, Tavriya Simferopol made history when it became the first champion of independent Ukraine. The country had emerged a year before from the disintegration of the Soviet Union, a process that demanded not only the restructuring of borders, armies, and civil services, but also of national football leagues. Tavriya, from Crimea, beat Dynamo Kyiv, the giant club from the capital, in the final to win Ukraine's inaugural competition.

That victory may be the first and last time a club from Crimea ever achieves that feat. Two Sundays ago, on March 16, while Tavriya was losing to Dynamo Kyiv, a referendum held in Crimea returned a 96.77 percent vote in favor of uniting the territory with the Russian Federation. As if on cue, the Russian Football Union (RFU) has also announced its intention to incorporate the two major Crimean clubs.

"In the near future, at working meetings we will prepare a project of the relevant documents" needed to absorb the two clubs, said RFU president Nikolai Tolstykh. "We will hold consultations with FIFA and UEFA, and with the Ukrainian Football Federation." It looks as though Ukraine's first national champion may no longer play in Ukraine.

At stake are the two crown jewels of Crimean soccer, currently competing in the Ukrainian Premier League. Tavriya Simferopol and FK Sevastopol, which was recently promoted from the second tier, both regularly entertain clubs from mainland Ukraine.

Tavriya remains one of only three teams to win the Ukrainian Premier League, in the esteemed company of Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk. Despite this history, its recent form remains worrying. Current manager Nikolay Kostov has been unable to arrest the fall into the lower reaches of the league, with attendances at the nearly 20,000-capacity Lokomotiv Stadium waning.

Away from the pitch, financial struggles also threaten the club's existence. Tavriya's main financial backer, Dmytro Firtash a titanium magnate whose rise has been closely linked to the now-ousted, pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was arrested in Austria on suspicion of bribery before posting the largest bail in Austrian history last week. He says the charges, which come after a long FBI investigation, are politically motivated. Either way, the drama has led to speculation about his future willingness to pay the wages and transfer fees of his team, the Krymchyany (Crimeans).

Russian Football Federation president Nikolai Tolstykh, center, is looking to absorb a pair of Crimean clubs into the Russian league set-up.

Denis Tyrin/AP

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Far Post: A Soccer Secession