The head coach of Rukh Lviv, Vitaliy Ponomaryov, explained why the Lviv club was unable to delegate 6 players to the Ukrainian Olympic team.
Vitaliy Ponomarev (photo: R. Porodko)"I spoke to a representative of Rotan's staff and explained our position. Each of the young players had a tremendous physical and psychological burden during the season. For example, while experienced bison such as Pikhalonok, Svatok and Hutsulyak always play alongside Rubchynskyi at Dnipro-1, we have young guys like them alongside Slyubyk and Kvasnytsia. They have played a tough season, now they have to go to a foreign tournament without rest, and on 24 June we start preparing for the championship. When do they have time to rest, and most importantly, to get treatment?
The problem is that each of the five main players (Slyubyk, Didyk, Roman, Sych, Kvasnytsia) played with old injuries, some of which can develop into chronic ones and require systemic treatment. We wanted to release the recalled Slyusar, but he was also injured in the Dynamo game. It was decided to send Fedir to the Olympic team - he played less than his teammates and is relatively healthy.
I would like to emphasise that we will be happy and honoured to call any of our players to any national team, let alone to the Olympics. I think the national team coaches are well aware of the capabilities of most of them. There can be no obstacles on our part. The main thing is that everyone is fresh and healthy. I want to cool down the hotheads who have already allowed themselves to accuse us of almost sabotage in the media. Before making accusations, you need to have perfect information about the physical condition of young players, their psycho-emotional and general health. And it is the club coaches and doctors who have the perfect information on this. And I want to assure everyone that this decision was made solely in the interests of the players and their future careers. And in the interests of the Olympic team. I am convinced that the players called up for this tournament will be well prepared for the Olympics and will be able to help the national team," Ponomarev told TaToTake.
