Head of Kharkiv Regional State Administration Mykhailo Dobkin has dismissed information that the Ukrainian president's son, businessman Oleksandr Yanukovych would be appointed as the new president of FC Metalist.

"You are the first person telling me that Oleksandr Yanukovych is a candidate for this position. Maybe you have some insider information, I don't know anything about this," Dobkin said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

He added that the new owner of the football club, Serhiy Kurchenko, is likely to become the club's new president.

"As far as I understand, Serhiy Kurchenko, who has made a statement on the development of the team on the official Web site [of FC Metalist], shared his vision of Metalist's future, and who is likely to fulfill everything he promised yesterday, particularly he will follow through the acquiring the Metalist Stadium, is 99% to become the president of the club," Dobkin said.

He also thanked the previous owner of the football club, Oleksandr Yaroslavsky, and described him as "the most successful president of Metalist as of today."

Earlier, a number of Kharkiv-based media reported referring to informed sources that one of the Ukrainian president's sons is most likely to become the new president of the football club.

On December 24, it was reported that the Gas Ukraine group of companies reached an agreement on the acquisition of FC Metalist Kharkiv from businessman Oleksandr Yaroslavsky. On the same day Yaroslavsky said that he had resigned as president of FC Metalist Kharkiv and transferred the commitments on its financing to another investor.

On December 25, the new owner of FC Metalist Kharkiv, Serhiy Kurchenko, stated that he intends to win the Ukrainian Premier League within three years and is ready to buy Kharkiv municipal authorities' share in the Metalist Stadium.