Now a former midfielder of Romanian club Cluj, Yevhen Konoplyanka commented on his parting of ways with the club, which was officially announced yesterday.
Yevhen Konoplyanka- Eugene, the Romanian press says that you asked the owner of Cluj to give you a chance to prove yourself before the summer, but he refused. Is it true? How did your parting with Cluj go in general?
- I didn't ask for a second chance. I told the president that if this coach, Mandorlini, stays in the team, I have nothing to do here. His game is "hit-run, please, attack come." (Smiles)
- The Romanian media also wrote that you allegedly faked injuries before long trips to away games.
- It's complete nonsense. Let them see how many matches I sat on the bench when I was fully ready to play. If I hadn't been ready, I wouldn't have been included in the squad.
When I moved to Cluj, there was no communication between the president and the coach about which players were needed and for which positions. "Cluj play a 5-3-2 formation, and there is simply no room for my position. That's what the coach told me. When I asked Mandorlini why I was invited back then, he replied that he didn't understand a lot of things at the club himself.
- Did you have the opportunity to change the situation at the club?
- I don't want to explain for a long time so that it doesn't seem like I'm making excuses. Just look at the team's results, and then the answer will become clear: what is wrong and who is to blame. You need to be able to admit your mistakes, and not say that a person is faking it when I was not allowed to play a single match from the first minutes. I can say a lot more, but I think it will be right to wish Cluj good luck in the upcoming games and end the conversation here.
Andrii Piskun
