Football news

The analytical portal Sofacore has named the national team of the Ukrainian championship for the 2023/2024 season.

It is worth noting that Dynamo's representatives were also included in the team of the UPL's best players. These are midfielders Volodymyr Brazhko (7.48), Mykola Shaparenko (7.44) and Vitalii Buyalskyi (7.64).

Shakhtar also has three players: defender Mykola Matvienko (7.42), midfielders Georgy Sudakov (7.63) and Oleksandr Zubkov (7.96).

Also among the best are two Zorya players - defender Arseniy Batagov (7.26) and forward Eduardo Guerrero (7.42). Rukh: goalkeeper Dmytro Ledviy (7.23) and defender Bohdan Slyubyk (7.20).

The only representative of Dnipro-1 in the symbolic team is midfielder Oleksandr Pikhalonok (7.68).

Dnipro-1's commercial director, Vyacheslav Fridman, has frankly said that his club will not receive a single euro cent from Girona for the fact that the team's former striker Artem Dovbyk became the top scorer in the Spanish league.

"According to Friedman, Dnipro-1 will not receive anything extra from Girona for Dovbyk's fantastic season. We quote him verbatim: "There are no bonuses."

It will be recalled that Artem Dovbyk moved from Dnipro-1 to Girona in the summer of 2023 for €15 million. The player played 39 matches for the Catalan club in the 2023/2024 season: 24 goals, ten assists.

Kolos are deciding who to keep in the team for the next season.

According to Sport.ua, goalkeeper Roman Mysak, field players Andriy Bohdanov, Serhiy Bolbat, Roman Goncharenko, Anton Salabay and Oleksandr Chornomorets, as well as young players Ihor Dorosh, Bohdan Bytsenko and Yehor Popravka may receive the status of free agents as early as in June. All of them have agreements expiring on 30 June.

In addition, the lease of Andriy Totovitskiy, whose rights belong to Shakhtar, expires.

"Kolos finished the season in 11th place in the UPL standings with 32 points.

The new head coach of Polissia Imad Ashour spoke about how he wants to see the team play next season, which coaches will join the Wolves coaching staff and which specialists will continue to work with the team.

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Former Dynamo striker Viktor Leonenko commented on the statement by Karpaty head coach Myron Markevych.

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Dynamo head coach Oleksandr Shovkovskyi met with representatives of the football and diplomatic community as part of an invitation to an honorary dinner at the German Embassy.

As part of the event, Oleksandr talked to Arne Friedrich, the football ambassador of Euro 2024 and former defender of the German national team, Peter Kettner, Head of the Sports Department responsible for Euro 2024 diplomacy, Tim Prang, Permanent Deputy Ambassador of Germany to Ukraine, and Vitali Klitschko, the head of the Kyiv City State Administration and legendary Ukrainian athlete.

The main topic of the conversation was the development of Ukrainian sport, and football in particular, in the context of the war in our country. Despite the constant shelling and attacks on Ukrainian cities, the national football championship took place for the second season in a row, and the national team reached the finals of Euro 2024.

Ukraine's war against the Russian invaders has been going on for more than 10 years, but even in such circumstances, our country is developing amateur and professional sports and gaining major victories in the international arena. Our country is glorified by representatives of many sports who have won gold medals at competitions of various levels.

Obolon head coach Valerii Ivashchenko commented on the 1-0 victory over Left Bank in the first head-to-head match for the right to play in the UPL in the 2024-2025 season.

"One goal scored is a shaky result, so we have now talked to the guys about not relaxing in any way. Everything will be decided on Sunday in the return leg. Everyone sees that this is the responsibility, these last games are very important. The guys are somewhere worried, somewhere trying to simplify the game.

Today I'm happy with the result, but it doesn't mean anything else. We still have the second step, and we need to give it our best, so to speak, 200 per cent.

"Left Bank" is a tough, combative team - a typical first league team. That's why we expected a lot of fouls and a lot of fighting. And so it turned out. That's why we are preparing for the next game," Ivashchenko was quoted as saying by Obolon's official website.

Minaj head coach Željko Lubenović commented on the team's relegation to the First League.

"Despite the fact that the team has been relegated to the First League, I was still satisfied with the spring part of the championship performed by my players. Thanks to these players, who wanted to progress, who wanted to work, who wanted to listen, we achieved good results and kept a chance to stay in the UPL until the end. We lacked just a little bit.

Still, I am very pleased with the way the team played, worked and how the club developed during this period. I think there are more advantages than disadvantages in the "Minaj Spring".

We worked with the players for a very long time on tactics, game discipline and psychology. We had a lot of individual conversations. These are all components of our "secret". "Minaj" showed great football. People talked about us more than the bronze medallist. The thing that pleased me the most was that the whole of Ukraine wanted Minaj to stay in the UPL," Liubenovych said in an interview with Ua-football.

According to TaToTake, Dnipro-1 wants to keep the leaders in each of the lines in their roster.

It is known that an offer has been made to forward Oleksandr Filippov, whose contract with Dnipro-1 expires at the end of the season on 30 June.

As for defender Eduard Sarapiy (31.12.2025) and midfielder Valentyn Rubchynskyi (30.06.2025), they have been offered to extend their contracts with the club on improved terms.

Forward and captain of Polish side Śląsk Eric Exposito may continue his career in the UPL.

According to the Sport Arena telegram channel, one of the Ukrainian league clubs, which will play in European competitions next season, is interested in the player's services.

It will be recalled that Ukraine will be represented in the 2024/25 European Cups by Dynamo, Shakhtar, Kryvbas, Dnipro-1 and Polissia.

The car of Osijek sporting director Jose Botu has been shot in Croatia, Jutarnji List reports.

It is reported that the Volkswagen car, which was parked near the house where Botu lives, was shot at least seven bullets in the windscreen. The auto was discovered by Osijek academy coordinator Alfredo Almeida and the police were called.

Botu is currently on holiday in Portugal and has already confirmed the shooting of his car in Croatia. The functionary expressed confidence that the police will be able to thoroughly investigate the incident and bring all those responsible to justice.

We will remind, from 2018 to 2021 Jose Botu worked as director of Shakhtar's selection department.

Today gave the world several famous people who closely connected their lives with football:

Taras Mikhavko (2005) - Ukrainian defender of Dynamo Kyiv. He is a pupil of Stryjska Skala. In July 2023 he moved to Dynamo, where he started playing for the youth team. In the season 2023/2024 he made his debut for the first team of the Bilo-Syni.

Oleksandr Bandura (1986) - Ukrainian goalkeeper of Minaya. Previously played at Veres, Rukh, Lviv and other Ukrainian clubs. Bandura was invited to the Ukrainian national team to prepare for the European Championship 2012, but Oleksandr was not included in the final list of players.

Steven Gerrard (1980) is a former English midfielder, known for his performances for Liverpool. One of the most skilful midfielders in the world. Raised by "Liverpool". Won absolutely all possible club trophies (including the Champions League), except for the English championship. In the England national team played 114 matches, scored 21 goals. After the end of his career he started coaching.

Iker Casillas (1981) - former Spanish goalkeeper. World Champion (2010) and two-time European Champion (2008 and 2012). As a member of Real Madrid, he won the Spanish Championship five times, the Spanish Cup twice and the Super Cup four times; at European and international club level he won the Champions League three times, the UEFA Super Cup twice and the Intercontinental Cup and Club World Cup once each.