Ukrainian specialist Yuriy Gura commented on his appointment as head coach of Sheriff Tiraspol, which was officially announced yesterday.
Yuriy Gura- Yuriy Volodymyrovych, how did you come up with the Sheriff option?
- I received a call from one of Sheriff's managers and was offered the opportunity to take over the club. I didn't hesitate for long and accepted the offer.
- For how long have you signed a contract with Sheriff?
- For one year.
- Who are the members of your coaching staff?
- My coaching staff is made up of local specialists who worked at Sheriff before I joined.
- Did you have any other options besides Sheriff?
- There were no offers from Ukraine. There were options from Kazakhstan and Georgia, but there were no specifics like those from Sheriff. Moreover, Sheriff is a multiple champion of Moldova, a regular participant in European competitions, so the choice was obvious to me. I didn't think about it for a long time.
- Did youconsult with Yuriy Vernydub (former Sheriff coach - ed.) before joining Sheriff?
- Before I went to Sheriff, I spoke to both Vernydub and Kuchuk. They told me that there are great conditions for football here - just work hard. Their words convinced me even more that I had made the right choice.
- Have you already met the team and what do you think of its level?
- Sheriff fights for the championship every year, the level of the team is quite high. I mean not only the players, but also the entire staff. I am happy with everything.
- What places would Sheriff fight for in the UPL?
- For medals, for sure.
- If we compare Sheriff with Oleksandriya, where you worked, what are the similarities and differences?
- The similarity is in the yellow and black colours. And the difference... Hmm. Sheryf's infrastructure is just space, like Shakhtar's or Dynamo's. Although Oleksandriia also has many fields and a stadium, Sheriff's is at a higher level - the Big Arena hosts European Cups, the Small Arena hosts the Moldovan Championship, 16 fields, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, a football pitch with the latest generation of pitches, and a swimming pool. When I saw all this, I was dumbfounded. Still, the team is a great one, and it shows.
- Should we expect Ukrainian players in Sheriff, perhaps your ex-teammates from Oleksandriya?
- I don't think about it at all yet, because all my thoughts are connected with the final two matches of the Moldovan championship. Now I'm thinking about the game against Zimbra. We need to win.
- Is it realistic to catch up with Petrocube in two matches, since the gap is five points, or will you fight for the championship next season?
- There are theoretical chances, so we will fight. If they lose twice and we win, we will become champions. Unfortunately, not everything depends on us, so we will have to wait for the opponent to misfire. Our goal is to win our matches.
- Sheriff under Vernydub beat Real Madrid and Shakhtar in the Champions League. Do you plan to surpass this historic achievement?
- Planning is one thing, but doing is quite another. I don't want to just wag my tongue. We will go step by step. My task is to win every match, regardless of whether we play against Zimbra or Real Madrid.
- How did you leave Ukraine during martial law?
- I was discharged long before the war. After my football career, I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the hip joint, I had my joint completely replaced and I was not fit for military service. So I left our country legally.
Andrii Piskun
