Football agent Oleksandr Yakovenko has spoken out about the transfer of Serhiy Sydorchuk, now the former captain of Dynamo Kyiv, to Belgian side Westerlo.
Sergey Sidorchuk- Oleksandr, in your opinion, why did Sydorchuk, at the age of 32, trade the status of Dynamo captain for a player in the last team of the Belgian Pro League?
- I can assume that this is a combination of different factors. If he made such a decision, it means that this is the best scenario for him today. Knowing Sergiy, it was not a decision based on emotions.
- What is Westerlo today compared to the times when you and young Zhazha Coelho were firing up the place?
- Westerlo has gone through different times in its history. Today, the club is developing. Westerlo has new owners from Turkey who are investing heavily. If you look at the transfers the club makes, the investments are very serious.
After Anderlecht, Brugge, Ghent, Genk, this is the sixth club with a budget that will try to grow into something more than a provincial club.
- Sydorchuk stands out among other Ukrainians because he came to Belgium to play out his career. Is his level and experience enough to play at the Pro League level?
- You have correctly noted that mostly young and inexperienced players go to Belgium to take their first steps at a high level. Nevertheless, I consider the Belgian championship to be a developing one. Every year it opens up a lot of new talent to the world of football.
Sergiy is a player who has seen everything in football. Personally, I don't see any problems for him to prove himself in Belgium. Sydorchuk can play at that level for many seasons. Even Mbokani, at the age of 34, was the top scorer in the 2019/20 season.
- In your opinion, why hasn't the Netherlands simplified the limit for non-EU players, because when, if not now, are Ukrainian players ready to go and try themselves in other countries?
- The Netherlands does have a salary limit for legionnaires. They don't want to lower the level of their championship, which is why clubs really invite quality players
Local clubs cannot pay players less than the specified amounts. 400 thousand euros is the minimum salary of a legionnaire in an adult team. For young people, the figure will be lower, but even those figures are unaffordable for most clubs, except for the leaders and second-tier teams, which can allocate such budgets in rare cases.
Oleksandr Karpenko
