Obolon's head coach Valeriy Ivashchenko summarized the results of last season.
- Valeriy Volodymyrovych, what is your main conclusion from last season?
- Speaking of the Ukrainian Cup, we rewrote the history of our club and moved up a notch. As for the championship, the task was to prove ourselves as best we could and gain a foothold in the Premier League. In principle, we managed to do it. The guys experienced a new level of competition and gained experience. We saw the pros and cons during the championship, realized what we had and what we lacked. Now we will adjust our work and draw appropriate conclusions in the future.
- At what point did you realize that the transition matches were unavoidable?
- Basically, the game in Poltava was a bit of a letdown. We fought to the end, didn't think about the transition matches, played, tried not to look at the opponent, but to take our points. It turned out as it did. If we had played well against Vorskla, we would have had a chance. But it happened as it happened.
- How many nerve cells did you lose in the transition matches?
- As they say, nerve cells do not recover. But this is our coaching fate. There are a lot of nerves, stress, so you have to try to consolidate these positions, soberly assess the situation. It is clear that emotions prevail somewhere, but you should be happy with the positive moments that exist and adjust these processes.
- Which match of the 32 played in the championship was the most emotionally difficult for you?
- Basically, any match was difficult. Especially the ones with our rivals. We clearly understood where our competitors were and the matches with them were emotionally difficult. With the teams from the top of the table, we realized that they were quite strong opponents anyway. But it was important not to lose points in matches with direct competitors.
- What match do you remember most fondly?
- Emotionally, of course, the Ukrainian Cup match against Dynamo. This victory gave the guys wings, made them feel that we can play and win even against rivals like Dynamo. In psychological terms, this victory inspired our team a lot.
- A question about personnel: do you know who will leave the team for sure?
- There is a lot of talk now, but the players' contracts are at least until the end of this month. At the moment, these issues are being resolved. We are thinking about our plans for the future: who will leave, who will stay, what training camps and where to hold them, who to strengthen, and so on. All of this is currently being decided.
- What positions would you like to strengthen before the new season?
- The center of defense. As they say: "Defense wins the championship, and offense wins local matches". Therefore, the most important thing is to improve the game in defense. Somewhere we want to show our chances in attack a little more and realize them. We always have chances, but there is also a problem with realization.
- And yet, what is the offseason plan?
- From June 24 to 26, we have a medical examination scheduled. And around July 1, we plan to gather, resume work and prepare for the new Ukrainian championship.
Press service of the Ukrainian Premier League