Igor Tsyganik: "I think we will have a new champion: a team that can be a surprise"

Famous commentator Ihor Tsyhanyk told us what he expects from the Ukrainian championship of the 2024/25 season, which starts today.

- We are entering the third military season of the UPL. Can we say that we have become quite accustomed to football in the realities of our time?

- The most important thing is that football exists. We should pay tribute to the football community for preserving the Ukrainian championship and the Cup despite all the troubles.

I think we will have a new champion. A team that may come as a surprise. Dynamo and Shakhtar will have very serious competition for the championship title. I am looking forward to bright moments and discoveries. The young people who have gained experience over the past two years have gained experience and can really surprise.

- What should we pay attention to in the first rounds?

- How will the new faces prove themselves. How Pikhalenok will play at Dynamo, because he showed well in the matches with Partizan. What Shakhtar will show. The first rounds will show how serious the ambitions of the teams that have publicly announced their plans are: "Rukh, Polissia, Kryvbas. How will Karpaty approach the start of the championship, as there have been a lot of changes there in a short period of time.

- What can you say about the signings of the big names?

- Dynamo had a good transfer campaign.It signed strong players who were available on the market. As for Shakhtar, I think the team made the main transfers in the previous transfer windows.

- Will Kryvbas and Polissia face serious competition in the fight to get into the top four?

- I am interested in following the development vector of Polissia, especially after an unsuccessful start in the Conference League qualifiers. The selection of players they have allows them to compete with even the giants on paper.

"Oleksandriya and Vorskla are the hidden leaders in the fight for the top 4. They need to produce results now in order not to let Kryvbas and Polissia get too far behind. Rotan needs to produce results in his third season. "Zorya suffered specifically last season because they failed to earn money in European competitions. It will not be as easy as it seems for Kryvbas and Polissia. Rukh already has a well-rounded group, a good team.

- Three newcomers are entering the UPL. What should we expect from them in the elite?

- I was really rooting for Left Bank. This is the pinnacle of justice. It is absolutely right that the team that was supposed to be in the UPL got there on a sporting basis. "Ingulets will definitely not be the main outsider, as it may seem. Ingulets may have a problem with constant traveling, because the vast majority of matches will be played in Kyiv. Karpaty have a very similar story to the way Dnipro-1 assembled their team two years ago. I don't believe in this way. Let's see how it will work.

- Which team could be a pleasant surprise?

- I don't think anyone will make a breakthrough this season.

- Which players are worth keeping an eye on?

- I really liked Fedor at the Olympics. He has a very bright head. At Shakhtar, I am very interested in how Marlon Gomez will look like. I am always critical of legionnaires, but this guy is very good. I think that with his arrival, Sudakov may have problems with competition. It will be difficult for Shakhtar in the Champions League with these two players on the field at the same time.

I like how Brazhko is progressing. I am really waiting for Supryaga to finally break through. He is a difficult guy. He has very good data. This player can produce results if you trust him. I would like him to compete with Vanat for a place in Dynamo's first team.

The transfers of Polissia should yield results in the long run, but I don't quite understand the purpose of Ashur. In my understanding, it looks like a kind of experiment.

Oleksandr Karpenko