Oleksandr Povorozniuk: "I invested 4 million euros in the stadium. I will not negotiate with anyone"

Ingulets president Oleksandr Povorozniuk commented on the situation with the team's possible withdrawal from the Ukrainian championship.

- According to the latest information, the UPL does not allow Ingulets to play at their home stadium, what do you know about this and what do you think?

- They gave me a letter saying that we don't have the right [to play matches at the new arena] because the stadium committee doesn't accept our stadium. I thought that we had everything for football in the foreground, because we have locker rooms, the field and stands are ready, everything is ready for television and referees. For 3 years now, we have been delaying the commissioning of the stadium: the war, or something else, the paperwork was going on, everything was legal. Today, there is no acceptance certificate and we are not allowed to play.

Previously, Ingulets and Minaj were allowed to play, and everyone was in a position to do so during the war. Now I don't understand why the position is so tough. Andrii Taran(chairman of the UAF Stadiums and Competition Safety Committee - approx. I.L.) tells me that I need to go to the "higher offices" and negotiate there. I will not negotiate with anyone and will not give bribes to anyone. I'm a man of principle, I'd rather withdraw the team from the championship, but I won't bow to anyone.

- Were there any specific reasons why you were not allowed to play?

- We need to raise the letters that came from the UPL. I'm ready to hold a press conference on this and explain everything. We have fulfilled all the requirements for football, but there is no act to put the stadium into operation, it is in the process of being done, but no one pays attention to it. I have invested 4 million euros in the stadium and now I will not play in the receptions!

- What can you say about Ingulets' current affairs? The season started badly, not a single victory.

- We have the game, I'm sure that everything is ahead of us. Everyone has recently received their salaries, everything is stable and good. Everything is fine in terms of money, but I will not give bribes to anyone, I repeat. What Taran tells me: "go to the highest offices and ask for it", I will not ask for anything. I'm a very principled person, and if I go for principle, I don't consider money.

Ihor Lysenko