Head coach of Zhytomyr's Polissia Yuriy Kalytyntsev commented on his team's first league championship and spoke about their plans to play in the UPL next season.
- In the last match of the season, you beat LNZ. On the day of the 65th birthday of FC "Polissia" president Gennadii Butkevych, you had no right to misfire?
- We managed to win due to great efforts and daily work. We could have scored the third goal and put all the questions to rest, but the game was tense until the last minute. This season, no team had it easy. The guys understood that we had to win, and this added to our excitement. Unfortunately, we made some bad decisions and made a lot of mistakes. We had been going for the championship for two years, so it was difficult to avoid excitement. We should also pay tribute to our opponent, who played to the last, even in the minority.
- At the end of the game, LNZ scored one goal in a double minority, reducing the gap to a minimum. Could you share your emotions after the final whistle?
- Such games take a lot of nerve cells from a coach, but I'm used to it.
- Polissia defeated Kremin and secured promotion. Do you agree that this game was your team's best performance? It seems that your players did everything.
- I don't think it was our best game. We tried to maintain our high level in every match. In fact, we failed only in the first round game against Obolon. There were also a few other games in which we did not do well.
- In the match against Obolon, we could have won the championship ahead of schedule. What went wrong in that game? Did the opponent not allow you to play your football?
- We wanted to take first place early, but Obolon was against it. The opponent played good, organised football. We did not play for the victory. I believe that a draw is a natural result. The fans had the opportunity to see real men's football.
I really like Valeriy Ivashchenko's work. He has a disciplined team that always gives everything for the result. "Obolon scored a number of goals in the last minutes. They play from the first to the last second and it commands respect. It is a pleasure to play with such rivals.
- Which of the May matches was the most difficult for your team?
- May was very difficult in general. Each match could have left us without promotion. Each round was like a final for us. I'm happy that the guys withstood everything and achieved the desired result. It was a pleasure to play in such a competitive championship. Each match was interesting in its own way. We were able to see our weaknesses, especially in terms of psychology.
- The biggest scandal of the spring part was a push to the referee by Polissia defender Chervak. He was not only disqualified but also dismissed from the team. What is your personal position on the issue of terminating his contract and do you consider the possibility that this player could return to Polissia?
- Will he return to the team? Everything is possible in life. I do not comment on the decisions of the club's management. I met with Chervak and talked to him. He understands his mistake and does not blame anyone.
- How difficult was it for you to cope with the constant pressure? After all, only victories are always expected from Polissia.
- Not everyone was ready for this, but I like it. I always work under pressure and I'm used to it. In football, the result always comes first. When the team has no tasks, it is not interesting to work. The guys had to adapt to playing under constant pressure, but they managed to do it, even though it was difficult. I believe that all the players have become stronger psychologically. If you are not ready for this, then you should not even think about ambitious tasks. This experience will help the guys in the future.
- Polissia have signed Nigerian goalkeeper Chijoke Anyiagboso and Gambian defender Moses Jarja. How did you find these players, who specifically made the selection? Did Yuriy Maksymov have a hand in it as a sporting director?
- We were interested in these players even before Maksymov joined the club. We followed these players when they played at the African Cup of Nations. These are young, promising players whom we will be glad to see at the club. They get a lot of workload at the U-20 World Cup. Moses even has a micro-injury. At the U-20 World Cup, we saw that we were right to sign these players.
- What positions are you looking to strengthen now? How much can Polissia improve before the UPL?
- I am a supporter of evolution, not revolution. I don't want to change anything globally, but there will be some spot reinforcements. It's important that the newcomer is a head stronger than the players in the team. There is healthy competition in Polissia, so the players must keep the bar high and not stop developing.
- Who has already left the team?
- So far, all the players have stayed with Polissia. We have come a long way, but we managed to keep all the players. The guys have gone through this journey from start to finish, with the exception of one or two players. To let someone go, we need to find reinforcements. We will move in this matter gradually. Also, all the coaches remain with our club.
- You have quite a strong coaching staff - assistant head coach Gennadiy Lytovchenko, coach Volodymyr Knysh, goalkeeping coach Mykhailo Fedunov, and analytical coach Serhiy Pinchuk. How did you manage to bring together such different specialists and do you work well with them?
- We have every coach in his or her place. They are really professionals who understand each other from a word of mouth. We are one team and we complement each other. It is important that Polissia has a coaching staff of like-minded people. We are not only colleagues, but also friends. The team sees this and it is very important. We try to inspire the players to succeed. The players always have an open door to any coach. Players can come up and ask any question.
- What are the team's tasks for the debut season in the UPL?
- The club is developing gradually. We will create a competitive team that is able to assert itself at the UPL level. We have already forgotten about our championship in the first league and started preparing for the Premier League. First, you need to build a team, and then set ambitious goals. If there are many newcomers, we will have to build a new team from scratch. We are having difficult negotiations with potential newcomers, but so far there are no specifics.
- When does the team come back from the holidays and what are your plans for the off-season?
- The club is working on different options for the training camp. On 17 June, the guys come back from holiday. There is not much time before the start of the new season, so we need to work intensively. We are preparing for a difficult job, but we know what we are working for. There is no problem with motivation.
Anatoliy Yangel