Rudolf Balazhynets, president of minor league Uzhhorod, told the details of the accident involving his team.
As reported, Uzhhorod's bus was involved in an accident before the final match of the second round in Group A of the Second League. It was damaged on the way to the game 100 kilometers from Hlybochytsia near Zhytomyr, where the match with Polissia-2 was to take place. Representatives of the coaching staff, Yaromir Loboda and Robert Smokorovsky, as well as doctor Volodymyr Chervinyak, were injured. Physiotherapist Mykhailo Dankov and strategic director Felix Ardelyanov sustained less serious injuries.
Despite this, the Uzhhorod representatives found the strength to play in the match against Polissya-2 (1:4).
- What caused the accident?
- The accident happened not far from Zvyagel. The driver of a Mitsubishi, under the influence of the heat, wanted to make a U-turn from the third row. He turned so fast that he missed our first bus and hit the second one when he was turning. The driver pleaded guilty, and our young guys testified in a state of shock. You can imagine their condition: one coach is being sewn up, the other...
Thank God, the team has a psychologist and a chaplain who will work with the players to bring them back to their senses. These young people are not like us anymore. They need a different approach.
- Who was unable to attend?
- We lost our playing coach Smokorovsky, who suffered a broken nose and concussion. Head coach Yaromir Loboda and doctor Volodymyr Chervinyak were not at the match. It's hard to get ready for a game when your life can end in an instant. We decided to play despite all the odds.
- Polissia helped you get back from the accident.
- We are very grateful to them for being able to get involved quickly. As you know, the bus we rented was beyond repair, so we had to send another one from Uzhhorod so that the team could get there after the match.
Oleksandr Karpenko
