The head coach of the first-league Khust Volodymyr Tsytykin told the details of the disappearance of his ward Mykola Syrach, who was taken away by representatives of the TCC. The Sport-express.ua website spoke to the team's head coach Volodymyr Tsytykin to find out the details.
Vladimir Tsitkin"Sirash is already in Mukachevo, he sent a text message to his friend at night. I don't know where he is being taken."
- Volodymyr Borisovich, what happened to Mykola Syrash?
- He arrived in Khust by train, and representatives of the TCC took him away right at the station. I think it was illegal. There was no summons, nothing, they just took him to the military commissariat and lost contact with him.
We were playing away, and Sirash asked for a day off after the match because he had a sick child and had to take him to hospital. Kolya went to Kyiv, he is an immigrant from Chernihiv and lives in Irpin. Syresh was taking care of the child all this time, and yesterday he returned and this happened. Now his wife is alone in Kyiv with a sick child.
- So is Syresh still in the military commissariat?
- He has not been released. There is no information about him, Mykola is not in touch, his phone is switched off. The man was simply abducted in broad daylight, without a summons, without any reason.
- How did you find out that Syresh was being taken to the TCC?
- Before they took his phone, Kolya managed to call my assistant and told me everything.
- What do they say in the TCC?
- "Nothing! We tried to find out at least something at the military commissariat yesterday, but no one talks to us or explains anything. They do not want to communicate and do not even pick up the phone. The only thing we managed to find out is that Syresh is already in Mukachevo, he sent a text message to his friend at night. I do not know where he is being taken.
"I cannot guarantee that we will play the First League match against Chernihiv on Saturday. We have to do something."
- Where did you address the situation?
- The club wrote a letter to the PFL and the UAF. We have informed everyone, but so far there has been no response. We don't know what to do next. For example, FC Chernihiv will come to us for a match, and they will be "packed" at the railway station. Or this will happen to us away from home. Or they will come to the stadium and take the whole team from there, five or six of us are under the age of conscription. I cannot guarantee that we will play the First League match against Chernihiv on Saturday. We have to do something. The president of Khust tried to call Kyiv yesterday, but... Honestly, nobody cares.
- So the UAF and PFL don't know what to do?
- The point is not that they don't know what to do. The problem is that if we are holding competitions, we must understand the rules and conditions. The UAF must give some guarantees for the competition. During the competition, professional clubs must be protected in some way to avoid such situations, at least for the duration of the championship or for the duration of the players' contracts. From 18 May, when the law on mobilisation comes into force, things will get even tougher.
If nothing changes, teams will simply withdraw from the Ukrainian championship because they cannot guarantee cooperation for the players.
- What is your personal opinion on the fact that representatives of the MCC can take a person right off the street?
- Unfortunately, the laws do not work in our country. "Packing" people into buses is a way to nowhere. People who do this are working against our country. As for the players, we need to make up our minds. If everyone has to serve, then we don't need to hold the championship, we'll do other things.
- The question arises, what makes footballers better than representatives of other professions?
- They are not. It's not about the players, it's about certain rules and laws. If we have a championship, there must be guarantees of participation for the players during the championship. Otherwise, teams will break up. How can I invite a player to Khust if he can just be picked up on the street? What if five, six, ten players are taken away? There must be some rules!
Andrii Piskun
