The head coach of Kryvyi Rih’s Kryvbas Yuriy Vernidub spoke about the situation in the team and the progress of the current season.
Yuriy Vernidub— Last year the team won bronze medals in the championship. This season the team started less confidently. There are usually objective and subjective reasons. How do you perceive the situation?
— There are indeed objective and subjective reasons. I do not want to repeat myself and discuss this topic again, as they will say that Vernidub is making excuses. After we took third place and became bronze medalists, I immediately told the guys that it is much easier to conquer a place than to defend it.
— Kryvbas has gone through a difficult path in the European Cups this year. How useful has this experience been for you?
— I have already played in European Cups, so this is not my first experience. Regarding these European Cups, despite the difficult situation in our country, this is really a great experience for the team. I really hope that Kryvbas will play in European Cups again. We have time to think about how not to repeat the mistakes we made.
— In many matches of the current season, the team had an advantage in games, created a large number of moments, and ultimately lost points. What is the key factor here that prevents players from using their best qualities more effectively?
— It means we are not working hard enough in training — that is the main factor. We need to work even harder, and everything will be fine.
— There are quite a few newcomers in the team; how well-coordinated is the team now, and how quickly do new players adapt?
— Little by little, because adaptation takes time, and every coach understands this. When there are some changes in the team, time is always needed. Moreover, we not only have new players, but many guys we are using in different positions. On the one hand, it is very good that the guys play in different positions and are not afraid of it.
On the other hand, a certain amount of time is needed, because if you play as a full-back and then you need to play as a center-back, it takes time for the player to understand what is wanted from him and what he should do, as these are completely different positions. However, I appreciate that the guys are not afraid, step up, play, and show a decent result.
— Nowadays, the issue of the presence of legionnaires in UPL teams is quite specific. Not every footballer is ready to come to a country at war. How do the legionnaires of Kryvbas feel about this?
— If all the legionnaires we have stay in the team, then everything is fine. But I understand very well those who have some doubts, as there is a war going on. All our legionnaires who are in Kryvyi Rih are doing great; they have already adapted. This indicates that the guys really wanted to be in Kryvbas, so they are here and showing themselves from their best side.
— How important is it for you personally to hold matches specifically in Kryvyi Rih?
— Why then participate in the UPL if we play somewhere, but not at home? We started the first championship during the war under such conditions, so we played the first round in Kyiv. I believe that we should play at home, as Kryvyi Rih is just as much a Ukrainian city as, for example, Kyiv, Chernivtsi, Luhansk, Donetsk, Simferopol, and any other. Therefore, I see no problem with us holding the championship at home. Moreover, we have a lot of fans who always come and support Kryvbas. Thanks to football, during the war, people have somewhere to go and something to watch.
— At one point you said after a match that it is better when the captain is chosen by the head coach. How do you explain your position? And who is a leader or leaders in the team for you at the moment?
— This is my position; I am used to choosing the captain, so today Ivan Dibango is wearing the captain's armband, a player who deserves it. Our captain Dmytro Khomchenovskyi is currently playing a bit less.
— For many years, matches between Dnipro or Dnipro-1 and Kryvbas were very principled. Now Dnipropetrovsk is represented in the elite only by Kryvbas. What is your personal attitude towards strong clubs disappearing from the football map? Can we say that most clubs in Ukraine are hanging by a thread?
— Now you have to be ready for anything, as there is a war; anything can happen. In fact, I am very sorry that such a club as Dnipro initially disappeared, and then Dnipro-1 as well, but that is life; you can’t do anything about it. These are tough times now. The main thing is that there are 16 clubs in the Premier League that are currently participating in the championship. God willing, it will remain that way. I want to add that this applies not only to the UPL but also to the First and Second leagues, as there may be certain issues and problems there too. You can’t do anything about it; that’s our life. But we will definitely defeat the enemy, and everything will be fine in our native Ukraine.
Anna Fatyyeva, Oleg Tykholiz
