Former Kyiv Dynamo striker Boris Norman, also known as a football agent, who has been living and working in Israel for a long time, in an interview "TEAM1" told what he thinks about the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the prospects for holding the championship of Ukraine in these conditions.
Boris Norman- Ukraine is going through a difficult period now, and yet efforts are being made to start the new season at the end of August. In your opinion, is it worth doing this during martial law?
- It's worth it, because it will be another evidence of the indomitable spirit of the Ukrainian people. And let's be honest, if the championship had not been restored, it could have been a disaster for domestic football. Too much already lost! Only if it has already been decided to revive football life, then one would like to hope that the organizations concerned have taken care of the safety of the participants, because human life is the most valuable.
— You lived in Israel for more than forty years. How was everything with the championship of this country during the Israeli conflict?
- You know, a full-scale war and a conflict are different things ... and when the situation worsened in Israel, the decision was simply made to postpone the calendar matches. Although such cases can be listed on the fingers for many years. And this is despite the fact that in Israel every sports facility is equipped with a bomb shelter, and during an air raid, fans, players and attendants have somewhere to hide.
As for Ukraine, every little thing should be taken into account, especially when dealing with such an insidious enemy.
- In your opinion, can we expect sensations in the future championship of Ukraine?
- If you hope from the middle peasants to take off akin to Tavria in 1992, then this is unrealistic. Old acquaintances — Dynamo, Shakhtar, Zorya, Vorskla, Dnipro-1 — will compete for places on the podium... Although the fact that many teams will have to change their home base, as well as holding matches without fans, can contribute to surprises. However, they will not affect the final distribution of seats.
- In your opinion, will the level of UPL drop significantly?
- The fall can be predicted, but it will not affect the image of Ukrainian football. Moreover, I am convinced that Ukrainian youth will make every effort to show their best side. And Ukraine has always been rich in football talents.
By the way, among my current wards is one 17-year-old player from the UPL team. I won’t name his last name, but I believe that he will continue to progress and perhaps over time it will be he who will gain a foothold in one of the Israeli teams, as Andrei Bal, Nikolai Kudritsky, Ivan Getsko, Valery Korolyanchuk, who were insanely popular with local fans, did earlier .
Vasily MIKHAILOV
