The well-known Ukrainian coach Serhii Kovalets told us what he thinks about the second part of the UPL season and also gave an assessment of the domestic legionnaires.
- Sergiy Ivanovych, the winter intermission is a time for analysis. Do you think the current championship is interesting?
- It would be good for our tournament if neither Dynamo nor Shakhtar became the champion.
- Why?
- It would be great for the development of the UPL. The triumph of a sensational medal contender would be an incentive for everyone: players and coaches, sponsors and patrons, they would understand that there is a chance to win the championship. "Dynamo and Shakhtar will still be the favourites, but it would be better if a new champion, Kryvbas, Dnipro-1 or another club, emerged in Ukraine.
This season is special and interesting because any team from the top six or seven clubs can become the champion.
We are grateful to the Armed Forces of Ukraine for allowing us to host the championship. The performances of our national team and the entire system - youth and youth teams - depend on it. These teams can honourably represent Ukraine abroad.
- Of the top three teams - Kryvbas, Dnipro-1 and Polissia - who has the best chance of winning gold?
- I wouldn't single anyone out, the chances are about equal. Much will depend on the winter training. "Rukh and Vorskla can also take part in the race for gold.
- Your former club, Chornomorets, is in eighth place, although at the beginning of the season it was in the lead group. Does this team still have a chance for something serious this season in the UPL?
- If not for the championship, then the club may well fight for the top three. The Odesa club was the first to go to the training camp in January, and will have a lot of sparring sessions. "Chornomorets played very well under Grigorchuk, although the end of autumn did not give the team a result.
- Almost all of our best players are now playing in the top championships. Is this good for Ukrainian football?
- Of course it is. Our players are now under constant pressure, and many of them play in the leading clubs of their championships. The fact that we sold Mudryk for 70+30 (100 with bonuses) million is a good advertisement for the UPL. Our players can be the best. Dovbyk was named the best in La Liga in December. This is very good for the national team.
In 2010-2012, before the Euros, almost all our best players played in the UPL, the championship was very strong. But the fact that our strongest players are now in Europe is great. And besides, they can represent Ukraine in Europe, show and tell what horrors are happening in our country.
- Were you surprised that Artem Dovbyk proved himself so powerful in his debut season?
- "Girona is not a top club, it has less pressure from fans and the press. Much less than, for example, at Chelsea. It's easier to adapt there and then take a new step in your career. It's great that Girona already had Tsygankov, who is among the team's leaders both on the pitch and in the dressing room. The adaptation was easier.
Dovbyk's level was already visible in the UPL. Back at Dnipro-1, when the team was fighting for the championship last season, he scored very interesting goals. He is a penalty area player who can play outside the box.
- Did Mudryk play better at Chelsea under the new coach Pochettino?
- Chelsea have made a lot of incomprehensible transfers. A lot of talented, but too young players. In December, for example, Chelsea had the youngest team in the last few seasons. There are good players, but many play for themselves, for their statistics. And you need to make a team.
At the same time, everything is different at Chelsea than at Girona, because there are very high expectations from the fans, and the Premier League itself is more powerful. It's very difficult for Pochettino, it would be difficult for anyone in his position. After all, the club needs results immediately, it's not like, say, Brighton, where De Zerbi works. There is no pressure, you have reached the European Cups - you are already king. And there is no such influence of the fans. It takes time to build a good team. Unfortunately, there is not much of it.
- Can Chelsea's owners make a spontaneous decision and change the coach again?
- 100%. And that would be bad for Mudryk. Pochettino proved to be a systematic coach when he worked at Tottenham. He didn't have any trophies there. But the team was always playing in the Champions League. If Pochettino is given time, everything should work out. And I think Pochettino communicates a lot with Mudryk, which is good for Mykhailo.
- Does Pochettino use Mudryk better than other Chelsea coaches? Some experts say that Mudryk needs to create isolation on the wing so that he can stay one-on-one with the defender...
- Mykhailo has a lot of advisers. In England, many specialists and experts write about how he should play. Which is not the case in Girona. Nothing special is needed. Mudryk has great speed, you need to work steadily with the ball, confidently beat opponents one-on-one. Mykhailo is still a young footballer, I think he and Pochettino know what to do in defence and attack, it's just a matter of implementing it.
- In March, our national team will play the matches for the right to qualify for the Euros. The playoffs have often been a problem for our team, often the second match was much weaker than the first. Is it important that many national teams are now playing in the top championships and are used to playing twice a week?
- It is well noted. This is a big plus. In Spain and especially in England, clubs often play twice a week. Ours now also have a high intensity, often playing on the third or fourth day. God willing, we will pass Bosnia and show this with our next opponent. Here I would like to compare our team with Croatia. Almost all the best Croats play in Europe.
- Again, about the pressure. In England, there is a lot of criticism of Zinchenko's qualities as a defender. You know Oleksandr from the youth team. Is this criticism objective?
- I think Sasha is a top player. This is not the first time he has experienced this fire of criticism. It is not always constructive. Sasha is a smart guy, I don't think he reads too often what experts or fans are arguing about. I think he listens more to the coach and the staff. They said he was to blame, then we lost several matches in a row without him. The whole team wins or loses. Sasha has achieved a lot in England, he is more visible, and he is criticised more.
Sasha is the main player of the national team, one of the main players at Arsenal, and previously at Man City. Guardiola, Arteta, and the players themselves spoke about his leadership qualities. "Arsenal, of course, has a harder time, Arteta's team lacks the experience of winning championships that Guardiola has. There are no players with the same experience as Man City. And they don't have the same bench. I hope Zinchenko and the others will be in good condition for the matches.
- Mykolenko also plays in the Premier League on the left in defence, but he and Zinchenko have different tasks on the field in the national team. After two years in England, is Vitaliy ready to move to a stronger club?
- "Mykolenko is ready for a top club, because he has been playing steadily for Everton for the third season. It's not easy there, the club is fighting for survival, coaches are changing, points are being deducted. But Vitaliy keeps his level.
- Can you say the same about Zabarnyi? Is he ready to move from Bournemouth to a more status club?
- "Bournemouth is not such a powerful club, there is, again, the same pressure and expectations. No one expects the team to win the championship or the Champions League. Let's remember that Zabarnyi initially arrived with an injury and didn't play for a long time, but now he plays consistently from the start in all matches.
I think Ilya is progressing in the Premier League even faster than Mykolenko. I'm sure the top clubs are watching both Mykolenko and Zabarnyi. Moreover, both are still very young and can progress. Foreign clubs build their business model not only on sporting results. Clubs like Bournemouth or Everton want to develop players so that they can move to bigger clubs for bigger payoffs.
- Many say that Tottenham are interested in Zabarnyi. Would he be able to play in such a club?
- It's not a certainty that he will, but I'm sure Tottenham's scouts are watching Zabarnyi. He is 21 years old, he is already adapted to the EPL and can develop. And Tottenham is going through a generational change. He has already settled down in the UK, plays for the national team, is young and has great potential for development and transition to such a club, I think he is ready.
- Andriy Shevchenko will soon become a football official, as he is the only and unopposed candidate in the elections. Will he be a good leader of the UAF?
- It is important that this replacement leads to the development of children's and youth football and infrastructure. I hope that they will finally build a base for the national team. Because all the presidents of the FFU and UAF have talked about this construction. I hope that after the victory, peace will come, and the dream of all our national teams will come true - they will build a base for them. Not only the top teams, but also Macedonia, Slovakia, and countries where football is not at the highest level, have national team bases where youth, youth and women's teams can train. I am sure the time for change has come.
Andriy Mykolayovych is a Ballon d'Or winner, a man of great authority, even at the international level. I hope that under his leadership the management of the UAF and the management of our football arbitration will be more transparent. I wish him every success.
- You worked with the U-21 national team from 2012 to 2015. Do you think the war will do much harm to our children's and youth football?
- A lot of good players from the academies of Shakhtar, Dynamo, Rukh, Karpaty and other clubs have left the country with their parents. It is important to keep track of them - where they have gone, where they are training. It is important that they are not forgotten and, if possible, invited to join the youth and youth national teams.
- Who has made it big in adult football among the youngsters you worked with?
- When we were working, in 2013-2014, even an outsider club could have 14 legionnaires. The players of the U-21 national team could not play, let alone train with the first teams in clubs. Ruslan Malynovskyi was loaned out by Shakhtar, and he played for Sevastopol's double. Maksym Malyshev and Vitalii Buyalskyi, for example, had very little experience in adult football at that time.
Now everything is different. In the summer of 2023, our U-21 team reached the Olympics. Let's take Trubin, Mudryk, Sudakov, Bondarenko - they have already played in the Champions League for Shakhtar. For the players of my youth team, the national team was a good opportunity to prove themselves, they played with great motivation. Vlad Kalytyntsev, Sasha Zinchenko, Pylyp Budkivsky, Maksym Koval, Sasha Karavayev, Zhora Bushchan - many of them are now playing in the national team. And it's good to have continuity.
- After Marseille, Malinowski is looking good again in Italy. Has he returned to his element?
- I think so. He is a very intelligent player. Good in the middle of the pitch, mobile, with a pass, with a shot. In France, he started well, but he was often put on the wing, he didn't have a stable place on the pitch. You're right, Italy is more suited to him in terms of tactics and intensity of play. "Genoa is a club with traditions, although it is not in an easy situation. It is very good for Ruslan and for the national team that Malinowski is playing regularly in the top championship again.
He is a professional, it was already evident in the youth team. He is 30 years old and can play at a high level for another five years.
- It is believed that Shakhtar released Malinowski to Belgian side Genk in 2017 only because Ruslan tore his cruciate ligament and the club no longer counted on him. Otherwise, he could have been on loan for a long time. Is it true?
- Here we must pay tribute to Genk, who believed in the player with an injury, gave him, I think, three million dollars. At Shakhtar, you remember, only Brazilians played in the attack under Lucescu. It's great that Ruslan was able to recover in Belgium and reached his level. And under Andriy Shevchenko, he was a core player when he had Italian assistants at his headquarters. Unfortunately, at Euro 2020, Ruslan played with an injury. I hope that he will play for Rebrov as well, he has a good game tone now. And he will be in a good mood and shape at the joints with Bosnia.
- Maybe Ruslan will eventually return to the UPL and play for Polissia from his native Zhytomyr?
- Anything can happen. Polissia is trying to get more players from Zhytomyr region in the team.
- Buyalskyi played for you in the youth team. But he did not play often in Andriy Shevchenko's team. Rebrov, on the contrary, gives Vitaliy playing time. Why?
- Vitali is a very smart and intelligent player. At Dynamo, he plays as a striker. Maybe he won't be a regular starter for Rebrov, but he can come on the pitch and make a contribution. A team is not 11, it is 20-23 players. And everyone must be ready to come out and enhance the game. Even in 5-10 minutes. Buyalsky is one of them.
- Do you think Pylyp Budkivsky has realised his potential by 100%?
- I think not 100%. I've read that he regrets some of his loan spells in France and Anzhi, for example. According to the data, he is a tall, model player. He plays well up top, in martial arts. It's a pity, he didn't reveal himself fully. But now Budkivsky is playing all the time, he can get to European competitions with the team. He has not said his last word. If he plays well in the club, he may still be called up to the national team. Perhaps he will not always start. But for the last few minutes, he can be very useful in attacking the opposition's goal.
- Goalkeeper Maksym Koval showed great promise in his best seasons at Dynamo, it seemed that he could become the country's leading goalkeeper. What went wrong with him?
- We have a lot of strong goalkeepers - Trubin, Lunin, Bushchan, Riznyk. The goalkeeping position in the national team is closed. In general, 31 years of age, like Koval's, is not much for a goalkeeper.
- Should Andriy Lunin stay at Real Madrid or is it time to change clubs?
- The fans in Madrid are now very well received. In matches with his participation, Real Madrid achieves results. I think it's better to be in Real Madrid's rotation than to play, say, in the Dutch league or in the German mid-table. He will win the competition from Kepa. It is best to let him stay at Real Madrid. He has adapted there. Goalkeeping is a position that requires patience.
- Did Serhii Rebrov do a good job in the part of the qualifying cycle in which the national team played under his leadership?
- I think both he and the players would like to beat Italy, to go out directly, and not wait four months for the matches. It happened that way. It is important that Serhii Rebrov wants to build a pyramid, a vertical of national teams. Which is what the top teams have. The basic exercises, scheme and tactics of the game, work in the transitional phases are the same from the youth to the main team.
It is important that there is now communication between the national team coaches, and that the young players are motivated to play in the same scheme. This is a plus for the national teams, but it should have been done earlier. When Shevchenko left, we lost at least one qualifying cycle for the World Cup. Better late than never. The fact that Rebrov came is a positive for all national teams.
After Shevchenko, there could be continuity in style in the national team. Rebrov worked at the club. Myron Markevych was then in the structure, heading the national teams committee. I think he should have been appointed after Shevchenko.
- What do you think of our youth team's performance at Euro 2023?
- There is a little bit of inconsistency. We lost to Spain in the semi-finals, but we had the opportunity to fight for the title. Although the task was completed - a historic, first appearance at the Olympics. Especially during the war.
We have had powerful players in our youth team, but I don't remember when a player with such a transfer price as Mudryk played in our youth team. Not every top team had such players.
- But at the same time, our football officials recommend not participating in tournaments where there are representatives of aggressor countries. They were allowed to participate in the Olympics, albeit under the "white flag" of disgrace. What to do?
- Ukraine should definitely go to the Olympics. Even if there are Russians or Belarusians there, under a neutral flag, or without a flag at all. I think that Europe and the whole world should refuse to go to an Olympics where Russia or Belarus might be present.
- Does your son Kyrylo like playing at Rotan's club, Oleksandriya?
- Oleksandriya is currently working on a new project, and we see a lot of young people. It takes time. It is important that the club management has patience and trust in the coaching staff. We need results. But I like the game. Kyrylo is one of the leaders and captain of the team. I think they will play the second round at the right level.
In winter, it is important to prepare well and have good sparring sessions. "Oleksandriya has potential, the young players will gain experience and produce results. There are also experienced players - goalkeeper Shevchenko, Kalytyntsev, Kovalets, Loginov. They will help the young ones grow faster.
- You played with Ingulets in the second round of the last championship. Was this experience important for you?
- It was an interesting experience, that's 100%. We started off great - we got three wins in four matches (Dynamo 2-0, Metalist 2-1 and Minaj 2-1 - ed.). And then, as Lobanovskyi said, there are no trifles.
- You worked with Obolon in 2010-2011 and 2018-2020. How do you like the team this season?
- They play interestingly. The coaching staff is young. Although there is no stability in the results, the game is stable in terms of activity and mobility. We beat Dynamo in the cup. In the league, we played away to Minaj and Dnipro-1. The team has many players who have never played in the UPL. And this experience is very important. But the first half of the championship was very good.
Now I see they are getting stronger. If they work hard in the winter, the result will be the same in the spring. "Obolon is a factory team owned by the Obolon Concern. It is important that there is a foundation. We have our own stadium and training facilities. The salaries are not the highest, but they are stable and transparent, which is also important.
- You played in both the USSR and Ukrainian championships. There is an opinion that now it is the same early 90s, when football seems to be starting anew in Ukraine. Is it true?
- These times are much more terrible. But we have to stand up and prove to the world that we are a nation that can withstand such challenges, develop even in this situation, and show our humanity and desire to be in the civilised world.
Anton Terekhov