Miron Markevich resigned as manager of Ukraine on Saturday in protest at a match-fixing scandal involving Ukrainian first division club Metalist Kharkiv. Metalist, who are also managed by Markevich, were found guilty this week of rigging the result of a game which they won 4-0 against Karpaty Lviv in 2008.
Both clubs were found guilty of match-fixing by the Ukrainian Football Federation (FFU) and handed 25,000-dollar fines and docked nine points in this season's championship. As a result, Metalist Kharkiv have just one point, while Karpaty Lviv are minus one point after six matches.
This proved too much for Markevich, who declared: "I have to inform Ukrainian football fans that I step down from the national head coach's post. "FFU chiefs completely discredited themselves with their recent decision to penalise Metalist. I have no moral right to continue working in the organisation, which purposively destroys football in Kharkiv." The 59-year-old added: "I was and still remain the head coach of Metalist. I cannot betray my native club."