Former coach of “Metalist” and “Dnipro-1” Oleksandr Kuchers commented on the doping scandal involving Shakhtar’s player Mykhailo Mudryk.
— Do you believe that everything can turn out fine and Mykhailo will return to the field soon?
— Of course, I believe. I personally know Misha and I know what a professional he is. He is a person who loves football very much and dedicates a lot of time to it. I absolutely do not believe that this could happen to him. The fact that it was a coincidence was confirmed by the polygraph, which showed Mykhailo’s sincerity. This confirmed my thoughts that Mudryk is innocent.
— If the B sample is confirmed, what would be the best scenario for Mudryk?
— It’s hard to say, because this will be decided by the commission, as I understand there will be courts, etc. But, of course, I hope that nothing will be confirmed and he will return soon. It would be very bad for the national team if Mykhailo is suspended from football for an extended period.
— The highest degree of punishment — disqualification for four years. What could be the consequences for Mykhailo?
— I think this is not the end of it, because there will be appeals. But four years for a young player is a very long term. Mykhailo may lose such important playing experience, and it will be very difficult for him to return. But I think this is all untrue, and I believe that nothing should come of this. First, we need to find out where this substance in Mudryk’s body came from, who gave it to him. The polygraph confirmed that Mykhailo is sincere and believes in his innocence. If that’s the case, I don’t see any reason to punish him. Then we need to find who gave him this substance. I won’t claim that it was in the club or at the national team. Perhaps he took some pill at home or at a hospital. We need to find out who recommended this substance to him. I think he really did not know that it was in his body. So it would be good if he is punished, if they decide to punish him, for the minimum term, but let’s believe that Mudryk will be exonerated.
— Would Mudryk’s disqualification be a blow to our football?
— Of course, it would. Mykhailo is a leading player for our national team. We see that he currently looks very good and has greatly helped our national team in recent matches. He is now the leader of the main team of the country, which he has been carrying lately. It would be a huge loss for us.
Andriy Pavlechenko