Yaroslav Vishnyak, the head coach of FC Kolos Kolivyka, talks about the specifics of the current season's Ukrainian championship, which is held under war conditions.
“We really hoped and waited that the relevant structures would allow us to play. We are grateful to our Armed Forces, thanks to which we have the opportunity to train and play games during the war.
It is clear that the costs of such a difficult time for all of us leave a certain imprint, but the most important thing is that there is football. What level is another question. In the current situation, the tongue does not turn to complain or complain about something. We are happy with everything.
The position of our club was firm: it is necessary to play, and play in Ukraine. We adhered to it, so no one was denied the games. In the summer, we even went to a test match in Alexandria, which, at the start of the championship, along with Kryvyi Rih and Odessa, was on the list of unsafe cities. The president of our club immediately said that we would go to matches with all rivals. Having taken such a position, "Kolos" firmly adhered to it. We were ready to play on any fields, at any stadiums in Ukraine.
Are you used to the conditions of the games during the war? I think that it was possible to do it. Although today there is no clear algorithm on how to behave during an air raid in preparation for the match or during it. We had a situation when the siren sounded immediately after the pre-match warm-up. So it was before the fight with Dnipro-1. The referee was about to blow the starting whistle when an air raid alarm was announced. We went to the shelter, where for an hour and a half we waited for her to end.
Before the match with Oleksandriya, until we went to the warm-up, its start was delayed by 15-20 minutes for the same reason. And in the final round of the autumn part of the season, when we met with Zorya, a siren sounded at the 60th minute, in connection with which the match was interrupted for an hour and a half. Everything depended on the situation. It happened that they did not finish the game in matches for 5-10 minutes.
One hundred percent cannot get used to or adapt to this, and it is hardly possible. However, everyone understands the circumstances under which the current championship is held, so no one rolls his eyes in displeasure and does not grumble. What can you do: an air raid alarm sounded, sat out it, waited for the lights out - and then we play!
In this situation, I repeat, one can only express gratitude to our military for the fact that our football is alive, and even at a cost, the championship is still being held. And thank God that even in this form it is held. Journalists have the opportunity to cover it, we have the opportunity to play in it, and the fans to watch, ”Vishniak quotes "UA-Football".