The CEO of Kharkiv-based Metalist 1925, Andriy Nedelin, has denied Igor Burbas' information that the team will not play at the Left Bank Stadium and is forced to look for a new arena.
- We can't help but react. Fans and even some football officials are worried about this situation. For example, where the matches will take place, where to send delegates, referees, and other organisational issues. Of course, we contacted the officials of the Left Bank stadium and had a good laugh at the information published by some media yesterday that we were either being provoked or kicked out of the stadium. That it was almost the work of President Mykola Lavrenko. Over the past six months, we have developed such a good relationship based on mutual respect that we have a direct dialogue with President Lavrenko. I was confident that he would not approach us by way of some kind of accusation through the press. Today, I once again thanked the stadium management and the management of the Left Bank club for doing everything possible to make us feel like home in this difficult time.
As for the information, I am fortunately not familiar with the person who published it. But, as I was told, he is a former journalist. No wonder he is a former journalist. The job of a journalist is to collect information, edit and present the material. No one approached us, and this information is false. We are all well aware of the state of the pitch in February when the UPL starts. For our part, we have confirmed to Left Bank our absolute involvement, both financially and with knowledge, as we have a professional agronomy service in Kharkiv, which I am sure will be happy to come and help prepare the pitch for the first matches of the spring part of the competition. We have also confirmed our readiness to help finance the heating of the pitch and the overall preparation of the pitch for the UPL.
But there are many "buts". The First League starts a month later. The artificial turf stadium of the Left Bank is also certified for the First League. We don't know today whether it will be economically viable for them to prepare a green pitch or whether they will start on an artificial one. Not everything depends on us. We are just considering backup options. We have a preliminary agreement with Dynamo to play our home game at the Lobanovsky Stadium if the Left Bank is not ready to host UPL matches. The next game is away to Minaj, and then the match on 9 March. Then the grass will be ready by itself. These are all normal working moments, there is no need to make a sensation out of it," Nedelin toldTribuna.