The head coach of Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih, Yuriy Vernydub, spoke about his team's goals for the season and commented on its current leadership in the Ukrainian championship.
- What is Kryvbas' goal this season?
- We want to take a place that will allow us to play in European competitions. I've already missed European tournaments (laughs).
- But Kryvbas is currently at the top of the standings. Tell me honestly, do you dream of a championship? Are you ready to challenge Shakhtar?
- Why not? Every coach dreams of a championship, and I am no exception. Kryvbas has a good chance and we should try to fight for it. But this is only in my mind, and we will see how it will be in the second round. I really want my guys to look even better in the second part of the championship than in the first. Each round will be a championship for us.
- How would you assess the level of the current Ukrainian championship?
- In times of war, it is very difficult to invite quality foreigners, many good players are simply afraid to come to Ukraine. But, nevertheless, some good legionnaires are coming, and many Ukrainians have returned. Shakhtar, for example, has brought back its own players: Chygrynsky, Rakitsky, who are raising the level of the UPL.
The level of the championship may have dropped compared to 2012, but it has become 100% more interesting. Today, there are 6-7 teams that can compete for the highest awards. This was not the case before. Everyone knew that Shakhtar or Dynamo would take first place, and Dnipro and Metalist would fight for third.
And today, teams that have only recently joined the UPL - Kryvbas, Polissia, Rukh - are fighting for awards. Chornomorets should not be discounted. If Grigorchuk had a slightly better squad, he could have competed for the top places, although the Odesa club is not finished fighting yet.
- Kryvbas went into the winter break as the leader of the UPL. Summing up the first round, what did you manage to do and what did you fail to do?
- There is only positive here. Be that as it may, Kryvbas is on top. Dynamo and Shakhtar have matches in hand, but they still need to win them. So it would be ugly of me to cry or complain about anything. I am very pleased with my boys and the place that Kryvbas occupies.
I, like all the players, now want to hold on to this place and not let it go. But to keep it, we need to look even better in the second round. There is a lot of work ahead.
- Kryvbas played a lot of exciting matches in the first round, including a 3-3 draw with Shakhtar and a 3-0 defeat of their direct rival Dnipro-1. Which match was the best for you?
- We had a lot of good games, the same away match against Kolos (3-0), the home game against Dnipro-1 (3-0). But I will choose the match with Shakhtar. After losing 0-2 and then 1-3, we levelled the score, and in the end we could have won if Debelko had made a better save. However, I'm quite happy with the draw.
- What would you say was Kryvbas' worst match from your point of view?
- Although we lost 0-2 to Dynamo, I believe that if it wasn't for Beskorovainyi's sending off in the 12th minute, the score would have been different. But we have what we have. I will also mention the home defeat to Rukh. The game was even, but we lost 1-3. "Rukh is a very good team - fast, young.
I can also recall our last game in the first round against Zorya (2:2). We were winning 2-0, controlled the match, but allowed the opponent to come back and simply lost two points. If we had taken these points, we would have gone into the winter break in a much better mood.
Andrii Piskun