Vyacheslav Shevchuk, vice-president of Veres Rivne, told us what he thinks about the current struggle in the Ukrainian championship.
- You know Mircea Lucescu very well, having worked with him for many years at Shakhtar. What do you think of Dynamo, who are showing surprisingly poor results today?
- Dynamo is going through a difficult period, just like Veres. Each club has its own difficulties. I look at my team first and foremost. For me, the priority is Veres, not the problems of other clubs.
- There is a lot of intrigue in the UPL standings. Which of the teams do you like to watch play?
- I really like Rukh. The Lviv team has talented players and has made an unreal breakthrough this season, although in the past they were relegated. Vitaliy Ponomarev has done a great job. In my opinion, today Rukh is playing the best game in our league, in terms of quality and intensity.
I would also like to mention Obolon. This team, with a small budget, a young coach and a non-stellar squad, shows a good quality of play and a decent result. "Obolon is a good example to follow.
- Should we expect any surprises in the fight for the championship? Perhaps this season the UPL will have its own Leicester, which once unexpectedly won the Premier League?
- I think it could happen this season. "Polissia have strengthened their squad very strongly. They have gathered experienced players from almost all clubs and signed quality legionnaires. There is a lot of competition in the team. Butkevych is investing good money in Polissia, and the infrastructure is being built. Of course, in such conditions, the team will have a result. I believe that Polissia can become the Ukrainian Leicester.
Vernydub has also assembled a good team at Kryvbas. "Rukh can claim high places. We see that our giants have a lot of problems. Shakhtar and Dynamo have young teams, with an average age of 21. Therefore, we should expect surprises this season.
- In your opinion, who are the top 5 players in the UPL right now?
- In recent matches, I really liked Rukh's midfielder Pastukh. At the age of 19, he shows an incredible understanding of football. Apart from him, I would like to mention two other players of the Lviv team - Roman and Kvasnytsia. Six months ago, no one knew Kvasnytsia, but look at the progress he has made.
I'll name Sudakov as the fourth. He made an incredible breakthrough, became Shakhtar's leader and demonstrates a high level in the national team. I also like Dynamo's Voloshin - the guy is making great progress.
I am glad that our teams give young players the opportunity to prove themselves. Look at how 17-year-old Gueye made his debut for Barcelona and scored straight away.
Andrii Piskun