Former goalkeeper of the Ukrainian national team and Metalist Kharkiv Oleksandr Goryainov in an interview "TEAM1" — about the war and about the near future of Ukrainian football.
Alexander Goryainov— Alexander, how did this war change your very life?
She turned him upside down. This, I think, happened to many Ukrainians, but the same Kharkovites have a slightly different situation.
- Did the impudent invasion of the enemy find you in your hometown?
- Yes. The first month of the war, my family and I spent in Kharkov. Seen almost everything. Missiles, shelling, aviation, local battles.
- Why didn't you leave right away?
- I am such that I would still sit at home, but in the end my nerves could not stand it. It was hard for my wife and daughter. Although we live outside the city, in a private house, it is located exactly on the road to Belgorod. And there was probably everything. Planes flew right over the roof.
Friends came to us from the city. We spent a lot of time in the basement. When it calmed down, we went to our military to help build all kinds of fortifications. Tried to be of some help. However, one day our female part could not stand it, and we left.
First there was Poltava. Then we stopped in Kremenchug - stayed with Sergei Seleznev. Then - to Igor Bazhan in Kropivnitsky, and stopped in Vinnitsa - at Oleg Ostapenko. This is where we live for now.
- Now is not the time for football?
- Why? You need to mind your own business. I even got a job opportunity. I can’t say yet which one, but I hope you will find out in time.
- Should the Ukrainian Championship be launched?
- Of course. The issue is very complicated, but if football stops, then we will restore it for a long time. We will lose, if not an entire generation, a lot of players. I have experience working with youth, so I know a little about the difficulties. And I can’t even imagine what they will be like if we forget about sports now.
- It would seem that the Ukrainian team does not have any big problems. Do you agree?
- Yes. In such a difficult time, our national team almost made it to the World Cup. There was not enough, it seems to me, quite a bit - some elementary character. I really like the game of the national team under the leadership of Alexander Petrakov.
- In June, Andriy Pyatov finished with the main team of the country. Not early?
- By age - no. As for the game, it's probably early. I think Andrei could still be useful, including in the locker room. But I respect his decision. He brought a lot of glory to both Shakhtar and the national team. This is the true story of our football.
However, we don't have to worry about the future of football goalkeepers in Ukraine. We have a whole galaxy of goalkeepers. Georgy Bushchan played very confidently, followed by Dmitry Riznyk, Andrey Lunin, Anatoly Trubin and others. Everything will be fine.
- Will football live in Kharkov?
- I hope so. Yes, there are big difficulties, but I see that both Metalist, in spite of everything, are preparing for the new season. God forbid that the teams of such a city play in the championship of Ukraine.
- Do you keep in touch with someone from Russia?
- Not. There is no desire to communicate with those who do not even believe their friends or relatives. I generally want to forget about such a country. Forever and ever.
I regret that earlier I was a little ashamed to speak Ukrainian. I didn't want to mix up the words. Now I am completely switching to my native language. I read, listen, watch — everything is in Ukrainian. And Russian, I hope, no one will remember later. There is no place for these scum in the civilized world.
Eugene GRES
