The head coach of Kryvyi Rih "Kryvbas" Yuriy Vernydub shared his thoughts about his team this season, the Ukrainian national team, and victory in the war.
Yuriy Vernydub— How would you assess the current situation at "Kryvbas" and our current position in the standings?
— I believe we are currently in the position we deserve. The start was not very successful, but throughout the championship, we began to make up for lost time, especially in the last rounds. We are gradually gaining points and moving forward.
— How do you comment on the recent matches of "Kryvbas", particularly the victory over "Polissya"?
— We faced very tough opponents and fought hard for our victories, so I am very grateful to the guys. In the last 4 games, we have two draws and two victories, and in my opinion, the results are deserved based on our performance. 14 points from 6 rounds is a very decent result, in my opinion.
— How did you perceive the exit from the European Cups? What are the reasons for this, aside from the obviously unsuccessful draw?
— Exiting the European Cups is always painful not just for the coach, but for the entire team. We understood that we faced very strong opponents. Although I think if we had not lost to "Viktoria" (Plzeň) in the first match, and if we hadn't lost our advantage, everything could have turned out differently, but it is what it is.
As for the game against "Betis", we have completely different styles. Overall, we looked respectable. It’s very disappointing and painful that we couldn’t advance to the group stage, but this needs to be accepted as it is.
— If we recall the last season, you managed to surpass ambitious projects like "Dnipro-1" and "Polissya". What is the secret to your success?
— There are no secrets here. We simply had a goal that we all moved towards together. But when we won the bronze medals, I immediately said that obtaining a prize place is not as difficult as holding on to it afterwards. The coaching staff understands this perfectly, and I think the players do too. But so far, only the first round has passed, and there is much work ahead. We will see how we prepare. I would really like to strengthen the team. It won’t be easy, but I believe that everything will be fine.
— Regarding strengthening, has it already been decided which positions need it?
— I, like any other coach, would be pleased if we could strengthen all positions. But I think the priority is the attacking line. The defense as well: to be honest, you can see who is playing in our central defenders' positions today. But again, it’s good that the guys are actually playing, even if not in their positions, and are bringing good results to the team. Strengthening is necessary in any case; it won’t be superfluous.
— New legionnaires have been announced to arrive at "Kryvbas" from Africa. How comfortable are you working with them? How difficult is it to persuade them to come to a frontline city?
— I am the kind of person who treats all my football players equally: whether they are Africans or Europeans. The most important thing is for the guys to fulfill the tasks set before them, maintain discipline, and training. But in my opinion, there needs to be some boundary; it’s important not to overdo it with foreigners. The locals should be playing, the Ukrainians, and even better if our own graduates can play. But I am grateful to the legionnaires we have who play and give their all.
— On November 16, "Kryvbas" held a charity match in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Can you tell us more about this, did everything go well?
— Such events must be held as often as possible. We were just preparing with the first team for our championship matches, so only those who were not involved in the training process and the youth could participate in this game. I watched the recording later, I liked everything, and the fans did too. The main thing is that we raised funds for our defenders, and that totals 75 thousand hryvnias. Agree, that’s a good result.
— "Kryvbas" supported "Polissya" and "Veres" regarding the reform of refereeing. What is your personal position on this?
— To be honest, I don’t really want to discuss this because later they will write that Vernydub is dissatisfied with something. I focus on each game, try not to communicate too much with the referees, and not to express myself sharply because they are people too; they can make mistakes. Personally, I am okay with everything, but I understand that many clubs want our refereeing to improve significantly.
— You have reached the second place for the number of matches at "Kryvbas", surpassing Yuriy Maksymov. What does this mean to you? What place does the Kryvyi Rih club occupy in your life?
— I don’t particularly count how long I have worked there. "Kryvbas" will remain in my heart forever. It’s great that during this difficult time, I have been working at "Kryvbas" for the third year and receiving satisfaction from my work. Before that, I worked at "Zorya" for eight years and at Zaporizhzhia "Metallurg". The period at "Kryvbas" is made special by the fact that we managed to take the prize third place last season, so everything is good.
— Denys Kuzyk recently received his first call-up to the youth national team of Ukraine. What can you say about this guy and his potential?
— He is a boy with very great potential, which has not yet been fully revealed. I believe that over time he will only improve and will become a player for the national team of Ukraine in the future.
— Are you following the youth national team? How is Melgosa’s football?
— I am following, the boys are doing great, they qualified for the European Championship, so we will continue to follow them. The team is showing very good results. I wish they only move forward.
— How do you assess the chances of the national team of Ukraine against Belgium?
— Of course, I want the national team to win not only against Belgium but in every match and only move forward.
— How do you evaluate the game of "Dynamo" and "Shakhtar" in the European Cups? How to stop the decline of Ukrainian teams in these tournaments?
— I believe that while the war is ongoing in the country, it will be very difficult with this issue. We have played 4 qualifying matches, it is very tough. It may seem from the outside that one needs to show character and everything will lead to victories, but that’s not the case. I’m sure that the boys from both "Dynamo" and "Shakhtar" are giving their all, but it’s very hard to achieve victories during this time.
— Who is the most outstanding Ukrainian currently playing abroad? Who is the most consistent?
— I would name Zabarnyi. He is one of those players who has not yet fully revealed his potential, so I am confident that he is waiting for great victories ahead. Perhaps in the near future, he will be able to join the much more famous clubs in Europe. He plays consistently both for his club and for the national team.
— Your opinion, as a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, how can Ukraine win under the current conditions of war?
— This is a very difficult question. Probably the most important thing is unity. When we are together, we are invincible. We will definitely win, but it will cost us dearly, as we already have many dead and wounded. But I am confident that everything will be okay because our nation has a very strong core. I wish health and strength to all who are fighting. For those who are not fighting, it is very important to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine in any way they can, then we will achieve victory.
Igor Lysenko
