<p>Ukrainian hero Andriy Shevchenko has been in the spotlight since becoming President of the Ukraine Football Association in late January. Yet, the former striker is doing more than managing the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/nations/ukraine-national-team-tv-schedule">soccer of Ukraine</a>. He is addressing the long-standing problem of referee prejudice.</p>



<p>Several people felt strongly about the selection of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/andriy-shevchenko-ex-ukraine-star-plotting-euro-2020-success-as-coach-20210628-CMS-338308.html">Shevchenko</a> as president of the Ukrainian Football Association. The 47-year-old allegedly took over after he tried to have his godfather and predecessor, Pavelko, removed from office.</p>



<p>After just a few months as his replacement, Shevchenko is finally doing something daring to clear Ukrainian domestic soccer of the suspected corruption that has dogged it. To make officiating more open and credible, he is pushing for domestic referees to be subject to lie-detector testing.</p>



<p>“We see the polygraph as an opportunity to obtain clearer information, to understand which referees can do the job and which ones cannot… Information that will help us start from scratch,” he revealed, via <a href="https://www.corriere.it/sport/calcio/24_aprile_17/shevchenko-ucraina-macchina-verita-arbitri-0aa2748c-fcab-11ee-aae1-e680bdf66643_amp.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Corriere</a>.</p>



<p>He went on to say that, going forward, any referees who do not pass the polygraph would not be able to officiate games. <a href="https://theathletic.com/5410934/2024/04/16/ukraine-polygraph-referee-andriy-shevchenko/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Athletic</a> further states that the ex-striker’s novel suggestion goes beyond the use of polygraphs.</p>



<p>The present approach takes into account things like match significance, experience and refereeing abilities. He plans to replace it with a random selection mechanism. He intends to radically alter the referee appointment process.</p>



<p>The ongoing accusations of match-fixing have severely damaged the image of Ukrainian soccer. Thus, this suggested move is a part of Shevchenko’s larger effort to clean up the sport and restore its integrity.</p>



<h2>Shevchenko to save Ukrainian soccer with polygraph tests?</h2>



<p>Given Shevchenko’s unparalleled position in Ukrainian culture and sport, his participation is crucial; especially, in restoring public trust in the country’s corrupt past. Also, the newly appointed chairman of the referee committee for the Ukrainian FA, Kateryna Monzul, is an important person in the field. This group is in charge of the random selection process and the polygraph exams.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="670" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/04/16043103/Ukraine-referees-1200x670-1200x670.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-502173" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></div></figure>



<p>Throughout her very successful career as a referee, Monzul was chosen as the top female official in the world in 2015. The first female referee to do so, she presided over three women’s World Cups, the Ukrainian men’s Premier League, men’s <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/world-cup-tv-schedule/">World Cup</a> qualifications, Europa League and Nations League matches.</p>



<p>Trust in the esteemed Monzul is rather strong, yet again. She took over for the Italian Luciano Lucci, who had been in charge since 2015.</p>



<h2>Mixed feelings about the idea</h2>



<p>There was considerable resistance to Andriy Shevchenko and his polygraph tests at the notion’s first discussion last year. Volodymyr Sharan, the former manager of FC Minaj in the Ukrainian Premier League, <a href="https://theathletic.com/5410934/2024/04/16/ukraine-polygraph-referee-andriy-shevchenko/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stated</a>: “Well, that’s too much, I’m sorry. This is control.</p>



<p>“The human factor will always be present, there will (always) be some kind of mistake, you can’t get away from this, but there is VAR insurance. Let’s check the football players and team coaches (instead). We will arrive three hours before the game and pass all the lie detector tests.”</p>



<p>On the other hand, others see it as a step in the right direction. </p>



<p>“It can make refereeing fairer,” former FIFA referee from Ukraine Myroslav Stupar said. “Sometimes arguments can break out between referees and representatives of certain clubs, so it is worth noting that in some games these referees do not judge the matches of the teams with which the conflict arose. I believe that Kateryna Monzul will fix it.”</p>



<p><em>PHOTOS: IMAGO</em>.</p>


Revolutionary plan to put end to dishonest referees revealed

Referee dishonesty and match-fixing continue to plague Ukrainian soccer, but Andriy Shevchenko wants to use polygraph tests as defense.

<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/3.bp.blogspot.com/media/_fotos/bildergalerien/teuerste_transfers/veron_f.jpg" alt="" width="476" height="358"></figure></div>
<p>For every Ronaldo, there’s a Shevchenko. Sometimes, great reputations come at a great cost yet fail to deliver. Shevchenko is a great player to start with. Feared throughout Europe, his performances for Dynamo Kiev and A.C. Milan saw him become one of the most lethal strikers in the world. Once he arrived at Stamford Bridge, his reputation began to fall apart.</p>
<p>Yet these things happen. Sometimes, for a variety of reasons, some players cannot settle. Yet others flourish when they were expected to fail. Now we look at some of the worst signings in the last ten years and ask ourselves, did Juan Sebastian Veron really cost £43 million for English clubs alone!!</p>
<p></p>
<p>Well over the years, especially as the Premiership’s international appeal has grown, we now find ourselves in a situation were probably as case can be made for a large chunk of the best players in the world currently ply their trade in England. From Rooney to Torres, Essien to Mascherano, every team offers us a plethora of international flavour. Now let’s cast our eyes over some of my selections for the worst signings this decade in no particular order.</p>
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<p><strong>1. Juan Sebastian Veron £43.6 million</strong></p>
<p>Now Veron’s failure to cope with the Premiership is something I still can’t get to grips with. His international pedigree was assured, he’d pulled the strings for Lazio and Parma during a 5 year spell in Italy, he was a top player. The failure of the Little Witch to adapt to the Premiership still astounds me. Manchester United paid £28.1 million for him, but off loaded him 2 years later to Chelsea, were he continued to under-perform. A return to Italy at Inter Milan never saw him recapture his form and he has now returned to Argentinian football.</p>
<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/3.bp.blogspot.com/content_images/Chelsea/andrei%20shevchenko.jpg" alt="" width="228" height="341"></figure></div>
<p><strong>2. Andrey Shevchenko £30.8 million</strong></p>
<p>As I’ve mentioned earlier, a striker with one of the most feared reputations in Europe caused Chelsea to change their system and lose their way a little under Jose Mourinho. Rumours abound that the Special One never wanted him at Stamford Bridge but since he joined Chelsea, his career has taken a nose dive. Even a return to A.C. Milan couldn’t recapture his glory days and he has now returned to Kiev. It was like watching a different player when he was at Chelsea, he just couldn’t cope with the game.</p>
<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/3.bp.blogspot.com/bongdaso/090617193408-297-163.jpg" alt="" width="285" height="178"></figure></div>
<p><strong>3. Sergei Rebrov £11 million</strong></p>
<p>Oddly, Shevchenko’s strike partner failed to adapt to the English game also, but his refusal to accept black players as team mates meant that he was always going to struggle. Perhaps a little more digging in to his personal life would have avoided an £11 million mistake for Tottenham Hotspur in 2000.&nbsp; Made a return to publicity when Spurs signed Roman Pavlychenko, warning him about the amount of “Non-whites” in the Tottenham area. A thoroughly horrible man, the Premiership is better for his absence.</p>
<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/3.bp.blogspot.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Fernando-Morientes.jpg" alt="" width="222" height="222"></figure></div>
<p><strong>4. Fernando Morientes £6.5 million</strong></p>
<p>Another striker with a fearsome reputation who looked as if he’d been kidnapped and replaced by a stand in when he joined Liverpool in January 2005. It was especially strange as the season before, he’d had a marvelous campaign in the Champions League with Monaco and a solid reputation forged for Real Madrid and Spain. He just never got going at Anfield and returned to Spain after just 18 months.</p>
<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/3.bp.blogspot.com/images/1_8_2009_content/ttvh_160N20090814044855718T130_bentleyspurs.jpg" alt="" width="296" height="177"></figure></div>
<p><strong>5. David Bentley £15 million</strong></p>
<p>Bentley had forged an excellent reputation under Mark Hughes at Blackburn Rovers but his spell at Tottenham has seen him under perform constantly. That goal against Arsenal was expected to be the catalyst but Aaron Lennon’s continued excellent form has seen him become a peripheral player at his beloved Tottenham. It’s simply not worked for him and the problem is no one can work out why.</p>
<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/3.bp.blogspot.com/media/images/41284000/jpg/_41284344_vassell300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300"></figure></div>
<p><strong>6. Jean Alain Boumsong £8.2 million</strong></p>
<p>This transfer still makes me laugh, as it was a ludicrous amount of money for a centre half who struggled to cope with Scottish football during his spell at Rangers. Yet, if you want someone to pay over the odds, who better than Graeme Souness to come to your rescue. Never coped while he was at St James’ Park, he was moved on to Juventus and struggled in Serie B before joining Lyon.</p>
<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/3.bp.blogspot.com/_OiHVfUKRPhU/SBWpXZYuuSI/AAAAAAAABAQ/EE3AoCXKBII/s400/albertluqueR_350x300.jpg" alt="" width="292" height="250"></figure></div>
<p><strong> 7. Albert Luque £9.5 million</strong></p>
<p>Another one of Souness’ signings during his awful spell as Newcastle manager, Luque came highly rated but never saw his career take off at all in the North East. He’d had three excellent seasons at Deportivo but since his two year hell at Newcastle his career has collapsed. Another dreadful Souness signing that never recovered to show his early potential.</p>
<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/3.bp.blogspot.com/multimedia/archive/00122/Bosko_Balaban_122644s.jpg" alt="" width="311" height="334"></figure></div>
<p><strong>8. Bosko Balaban £6 million</strong></p>
<p>Was highly rated when John Gregory signed him for Aston Villa but in his 30 month spell he never started a game or scored a goal. The long running joke amongst Villa fans was that they’d actually signed the wrong player but he was signed as a goal getting striker. On leaving Villa he continued to score goals but will always be remembered for the goalless spell at Villa Park.</p>
<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/3.bp.blogspot.com/images/steve-marlet-380.jpg" alt="" width="297" height="297"></figure></div>
<p><strong>9. Steve Marlet £11.5 million</strong></p>
<p>The signing that brought the end to Jean Tigana’s reign as Fulham manager and caused a legal battle with the chairman of Fulham, Marlet was an unmitigated disaster. 11 goals in 4 years says it all and he is currently without a club. Though how he was ever valued at £11.5 million after scoring just 13 goals in 2 seasons at Lyon still mystifies me.</p>
<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/3.bp.blogspot.com//keanelazio.jpg" alt="" width="281" height="174"></figure></div>
<p><strong>10. Robbie Keane £20 million</strong></p>
<p>Poor old Robbie Keane thought he’d gone to heaven when Spurs grudgingly accepted a hefty bid for the Liverpool supporting Irishman. Yet, unbeknown to Keane, Benitez didn’t want him and he became a pawn in an internal battle between Rick Parry and Rafa Benitez. 6 months later he was on his way back to White Hart Lane for the remainder of the fee that Liverpool owed Spurs, so effectively the Reds paid £8 million for a 6 month loan deal. Has never looked the same player since he returned either.</p>
<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/uploads/3.bp.blogspot.com/francisjeffers/bi_francis_jeffers.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300"></figure></div>
<p><strong>11. Francis Jeffers £8 million</strong></p>
<p>Arsene Wengers most expensive mistake, Jeffers was supposedly the fox in the box the Gunners needed as the long term replacement for Ian Wright. Yet Jeffers’ attitude had caused him to be gladly sold by Everton and his career has seen him fall down the leagues, failing to score or stay fit for than a month a time. A shining example of wasted potential, he scored on his England debut in 2001 and it was all down hill from there. Is frighteningly still 28, currently injured at Sheffield Wednesday.</p>
<p>So, any thoughts on who you feel was the worst Premiership signing of the last 10 years? Please leave your comments below.</p>

The Worst Premiership Signings Of The Noughties

The Worst Premiership Signings Of The Noughties - World Soccer Talk

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Revolutionary plan to put end to dishonest referees revealed

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The Worst Premiership Signings Of The Noughties