Former Dynamo head coach Oleksandr Khatskevich shared his expectations from the new season in the Ukrainian championship.
Aleksandr Khatskiewicz- Who will become the UPL champion?
- I hope that Dynamo will become the champion. Yarmolenko's return is one of the advantages of Kyiv. Andriy is an experienced footballer with the character and mentality of a winner. The players' ego after the failed last season should also play its role.
- Who will be in the top-5 of the UPL?
- 1. "Dynamo. 2. "Shakhtar. 3. "Dnipro-1. 4. "Vorskla. 5. "Kryvbas. Zorya got a new coach, who is not familiar with our championship. Lugansk team lost a lot of players and it is not clear who will replace them and how the newcomers will fit in. Vorskla and Kryvbas have more experienced coaches and balanced squads than Zorya.
"I don't consider Oleksandriya a contender for the top-5 either. They sell the best players, apparently, in "Alexandria" there is a rebuilding with credit to Rotanyu for next season.
- Who will drop out of the UPL?
- It is difficult for me to judge the level of LNZ, Veres, Obolon, Metalist 1925. For LNZ and Obolon may not be enough what they had in the first league. I think these teams will solve the problem of maintaining their place in the elite division.
What is in store for Polesie? Yuriy Kalitvintsev is a competent coach. First of all, he started to strengthen the defence by signing experienced Shabanov and Boyko. But I think, in the first season they will not be able to qualify for the European Cup, everything will be built gradually, step by step.
- Who will win the Cup of Ukraine?
- I will name two teams: "Kryvbas" with charismatic Yuriy Vernidub and "Dnipro-1". Kryvyirogorsk club has no big losses, while Dnipro-1 is strengthening with enough qualified players, lengthening its bench.
"Shakhtar and Dynamo? In Kyiv I see very big problems in defence: both in the centre and on the flanks. Therefore, Dynamo do not have a big margin of safety. Shakhtar's game will depend on how far they manage to go in the European cups.
- Who will perform best in the European cups, and who will fail?
- It will be very difficult for all our clubs. Eurocups are a completely different level of play compared to the UPL. I can only wish all the teams to be competitive, to qualify and to represent Ukraine honourably.
I think, there will not be such a failure as last year, when Dynamo did not get out of the group.
- Who will be the top scorer of the UPL?
- I bet on Vanat. I think Dovbik will leave in summer or winter. The second part of last season showed that Vlad can create and realise chances himself, plus he has interaction with his partners.
- Who will be the discovery of the championship among the young players?
- Ruch U-19 have been champions for two years in a row. They have a good academy, so I think that someone from the Lviv team will be a discovery. There are a lot of young and talented players there.
- Which of the coaches will be the first to resign?
- It is incorrect for me to answer this question. I can only wish all the coaches to work until the end of the season, and that the teams do not give a reason to resign with their performance and results.
- Which player of the UPL club do you expect to be transferred to Europe this season?
- Today the closest to the transfer is Dovbik. If Girona are seriously considering him, it means that they see Artem as a reinforcement of the attack, and they need him. Besides, Tsygankov plays there and it will be easier for Dovbik in terms of adaptation.
From Dynamo I can name Buschan and Shaparenko. This season they need to show themselves in the European cups to get good offers from foreign clubs.
Brazhko and Torino? Brazko is still a very young guy. The fact that there is a demand for him from Italy does not mean that Dynamo should respond to every offer. Today the price is one, and tomorrow it can be quite different, it all depends on how he will prove himself in Dynamo. It is too early for Brazhko to look at another championship.
"Dynamo brought him up, and he should show himself in this team to go to a stronger championship and for more money.
Andriy PISKUN
