The head coach of Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih, Yuriy Vernydub, gave an interview to the authoritative British TV channel Sky Sports, in which he spoke about his work during the war.
- What do you remember about the first day of the racist attack on Ukraine?
- On February 24, at 4:30 in the morning, I was in Portugal with Sheriff for the return leg of the Europa League 1/16 against Braga. My son called and told me that the war had started. It was very confusing for me, and then I had no time for football. Although I had to work, I did. But the thought that after the team returned to Moldova, I would go home to Ukraine never left me.
- Tell us about the path of the head coach of a Europa League team to a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- This is the call of the heart. I am a citizen of Ukraine. All my family and friends were in Zaporizhzhia at the time. I thought only about them at that moment. I realized that it was my duty to be in my native Ukraine at a difficult time for the country. Upon my arrival, I went to the military enlistment office and was mobilized to an artillery battalion. I have two sons and two grandsons. I decided that I would rather go than my sons and grandsons.
- Did you have any military training in the past?
- When I was young, I served in a sports company in my specialty as a football player. There was a club called SKA Lviv. I really knew how to shoot, how to handle weapons. But I had never been an artilleryman. I said that I would go wherever you say, where I would be useful. We have done and are doing everything we can to bring our victory as soon as possible. We want to be a free nation, a free people, as we were before. I don't see any other way.
We help our guys on the front line as much as we can. I have a lot of friends in different fields. The entire FC Kryvbas team helps our soldiers. We understand that it is very difficult for them without help. We are all waiting for our victory together with our Armed Forces. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries for the help they provide to our guys and our Armed Forces. This help is very much needed to drive the enemy out of the Ukrainian land.
- Holding the Ukrainian football championship during the war is proof that Ukrainians - an unbreakable nation?
- Ukrainians are a very strong nation. Not only football is alive in Ukraine now, but other sports as well. In such a difficult time, Ukrainians need to switch to something else, to be distracted. This allows people to see what they want to see. I am grateful to our country, our people, our Armed Forces for allowing us, the players and coaches, to do what we love. Respect and respect to our Armed Forces for this.