On the day of its 75th anniversary, an interview with the website "Team 1 " said Valery Yaremchenko, the legendary coach of Shakhtar Donetsk.
— Valery Ivanovich, are you currently in a safe place?
— Yes, recently we lived with our children in Kharkiv, where we moved from Kurakhovo, but for some reasons we were forced to leave this beautiful city, which is suffering from shelling. Now we are closer to the center of Ukraine, and we are the same refugees as many people of our country.
— You have repeatedly expressed your position regarding the actions of the Russian invaders in your previous interviews. You're sure she hasn't changed, right?
- It only got worse. Back in 2014, I said that the Russians are the real invaders. There is no place for them in Ukraine and the whole civilized world.
— You worked in Shakhtar and Karpaty. Did the language problem that they are trying to portray to us sometimes exist?
— This did not happen either in Lviv or Donetsk. There is no need to invent anything. Yes, of course, we live in Ukraine, so we should know our native language. But Lviv residents understand Russian well, and Donetsk residents understand Ukrainian. So am I. My father is Ukrainian, and my mother is Russian.
I believe that it is not necessary to make language a political tool. In Switzerland, French, German, and Italian are spoken freely. And don't have any problems.
— Your native Shakhtar has recently become a truly Ukrainian club. Such as you once trained. Does it make you happy?
— Let's not rush to conclusions. The Legionnaires have given a lot to the team, encouraging the growth of our players, who now have a chance to prove themselves. I wish them to use it and somehow comfort people who find themselves in such a difficult situation.
— Will you celebrate your 75th birthday?
— We didn't plan anything. Now is such an hour that plans are something from another life. Let's get together with relatives, have dinner, and so on.
— What would be the best anniversary gift for you?
— The news that the Ukrainian military liberated our land from the invaders. All Ukrainians will benefit from this, including my relatives. I believe in our victory.
Evgeny HRES