Obolon's head coach Valerii Ivashchenko commented for 1927.kiev.ua on the team's promotion to the UPL two rounds before the end of the Ukrainian Premier League.
Valerii Ivashchenko (photo: fc.obolon.ua)- Did you have faith that the goal of reaching the UPL would be achieved?
- There were a lot of nuances, but we completed the task. We had a good start before the full-scale invasion, then we had to "sculpt" the team from scratch - only two players remained. Also, Karpaty, LNZ, Polissya were training, they had no downtime, and we had a significant break. In a short period of time, we managed to create a team and reach the UPL. For football, it is not so easy. Therefore, everyone did well, they endured, listened, and understood the information I gave them. Moreover, our rivals for promotion, Karpaty, LNZ, Polissia, had conditions and budgets two orders of magnitude higher. I would like to thank the players, and we all thank our armed forces for the opportunity to play and preserve our football. We will try to develop it further.
- Did the players receive any prize money?
- There are still two games left, we need to prove the championship, and in the locker room, of course, there was champagne spray and joy. For many of the guys, this is something new. They do not understand what they have done - they have rewritten the history of the club. Under the positive emotions, they cannot yet realise what a step they have taken for themselves and the team.
As for the prize money, there was no talk about it, but I think the guys deserve it. So far, the management has not informed us about it.
- What goals do you set for the team in the UPL?
- First, you need to understand what the management expects in terms of the budget. I don't want to enter the Premier League and just "weave" at the end of the standings. "Obolon is a club with a history and traditions, it played in the UPL, beat both Dynamo and Shakhtar, so it has the right to "get involved" and solve global problems. We, as coaches, want to solve the maximum tasks, so we will talk to the management about the prospects and tasks.
- Should the fans expect the squad to be strengthened?
- In any case, there will be reinforcements. The First League and the UPL are different leagues, there is an increase in the level of football and speed. We have a team that has not played at the UPL level. The task of reaching the level was solved at the expense of the team. It is necessary to strengthen the team in a targeted manner, not drastically, because the guys deserve to play in the UPL with their work and attitude. We need healthy competition - it will benefit the players.
- Will the guys not relax for the final two matches?
- We play good teams, there is an opportunity to compete for gold medals. I don't want them to relax, because they are the "face" of the club. If we got to the UPL, we have to show football of this level and play to the end.
Mykola Tymoshchuk
