Druzhba director Ihor Degtyarenko said the club was withdrawing from the competition for the next season.
Photo: press service of PFC Druzhba- There was information that Druzhba decided not to start the next season, despite the fact that it won the First League at the end of the last one.
- This is true.
- What is the reason?
- The law on mobilization. Starting in July, people will be stopped on the streets and so on. We can't provide security for our people, we don't have the leverage to book them. Unfortunately, the UAF has done nothing for the players. We simply cannot fight this.
Somewhere the bus will be stopped on the way to a training or game and the whole team will be issued summonses. What are we going to do about it? Only because we can't provide people with normal jobs and key players can be drafted into the army at any time. There is nowhere to go, this is war.
- Is this the final decision?
- Yes, it is. Well, we asked for a year. Maybe during this time the war will end, we'll see.
- What do you mean when you say a year?
- To have a place in the PFL for a year, at least in the Second League. No one will reserve a place for us in the First League, of course. Unfortunately, there is no other way out.
Now other clubs will start to do the same, it's a hundred percent certain when July comes. You realize that not all players want to go to military registration and enlistment offices. And we can't force them, even though everyone is subject to mobilization. What am I going to do about it? We can't give them a postponement of mobilization, we don't have such levers. We cannot be booked. That's the only reason we're filming.
- The club will continue to function, right? You're not just announcing an adult team?
- Yes, the club is functioning. We will help the kids, we have a contract. Our kids go to Kaharlyk for training. Of course, we will continue to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- And the adult team was disbanded accordingly, right?
- Yes. We offered them to join us when the transfer window opens. I think they will find a place for themselves by playing for Druzhba.
It's better than withdrawing in the middle of the season. Although this is a very painful decision for us, because we have just won the Second League and moved up to the First. We have been raising this team since amateur football. But this is the situation in the country.
