Roman Hryhorchuk: "If Chornomorets wins and all people admit that the referee made a mistake, I'm ready to replay this match"

In an interview with TaToTake, Chornomorets head coach Roman Hryhorchuk explained why he started talking publicly about the problems with refereeing in Ukrainian football.

- "After your speech about refereeing, exactly one third of the fans said that Chornomorets were being systematically killed by referees. About 40% said it was a standard emotional speech by a coach whose team had lost. What are you saying about refereeing now - what does it mean?

- It means that I think so. And not only that, I'm absolutely sure... Please note that it's not like I'm a new person who has been in the championship for a few weeks and is drawing some conclusions - no, it's not like that. We've been here for a long time and we've been working, we've seen what's happening, and this is the result of all that has accumulated.

What is it? The first is the lack of any progress and the desire for progress from everything we see and hear. I never want to win because of a refereeing error. I don't want that, really!

I realise that I'm saying some virtual things... If, for example, we win and all people recognise that the referee made a mistake, I'm ready to replay the match. I am telling you this.

I understand that this is probably impossible, but I want to emphasise the extent to which I absolutely do not want to win with the help of anything other than the players, my ideas and the entire coaching staff and our work.

I understand that refereeing is not easy, it is a very serious profession. Just think how talented a person has to be to assess all these situations, quickly and on time. Now the HACC is helping a bit, which is also good.

It's all complicated. Let these people get more money. For example, I advocated that the clubs (pay the referees - ed.) some additional money. I want it to be civilised, open and clear. Let the referee get a bigger sum for the game, but in such a way that we understand that he judges what is on the pitch - everything.

Even if there is some mistake - no one can do without mistakes, probably - but you can put up with it when you see that it is really a mistake. And you understand, because you make mistakes yourself, players make mistakes, yes.

But analysing everything that happens and knowing not all, but many referees, I don't believe that they can referee so badly. And because of this, I think that maybe someone is manipulating the referees, giving them some instructions, something else, I don't know.

We have to deal with this, because we can see from the fact that the level of judging is low. We are looking into the reasons. We cannot just let this happen. I want to work and continue to learn. Even though I am not very young anymore, I want to learn.

And how can I learn if I can't even analyse my game because I know what the refereeing was like?