Former Shakhtar footballer Denys Kozhanov told how the Donetsk club did not allow him to join Karpaty.
"How it all happened. My contract expired, I still had a month left. And Shakhtar said: "We're taking him to the training camp, let's see". Of course, they would have loaned him out further, to Karpaty - he would have signed a deal and played: "No, he will be here until the end. We will decide everything, he will stay until the end, until the last day. Well, I went through all the training camps, went with Karpaty. My contract ended. And it was just transfers. I read: "Kozhanov goes to Illichivets". I thought: "What Illichivets? I'm already going through the training camp here, what Illichivets? I sit there and that's it - Shakhtar have gone into the woodshed. He said: "That's it, you're coming back". Otherwise, I would have signed a loan and played at Karpaty.
Well, I met with the president, they said: "We'll solve everything, we'll solve everything". That's how it was decided. We talked to Lucescu. After the training session, I came, he was there, Spyridon was translating. I said: "I want to return to Karpaty. He said: "Why?". Я: "Why? The Europa League, the team, I want to play in the national team." He: "Good. Sign a new contract and go on loan". I thought: "Okay, fine".
I had two and a half years, and they wanted a new contract for five years. And that was it. I came to the club. "No, you're going to Mariupol. And that was it. I mean, it was a matter of principle that I couldn't go to Karpaty," the Brutal Football telegram channel quoted Kozhanov as saying.