Famous Ukrainian coach and now renowned expert Oleg Fedorchuk summed up the first half of the Ukrainian championship of the 2024/25 season, compiling a symbolic team of the tournament.
— Oleg Viktorovych, almost all experts unanimously say that the level of the UPL has significantly dropped. They justify the failure of our clubs on the international stage primarily with this. However, it seems to me that this did not happen in the current season but earlier. Right after the full-scale war began and legionnaires massively fled. What is your opinion on this matter?
— The level of the UPL has dropped, of course. I agree, but… You know, this crisis, and it is primarily financial, because war can, however strange it may sound, be beneficial. Of course, if the leaders of our clubs think about the future. Now you can invest in the Ukrainian product. It is not as expensive as abroad. That is, to bet on the education of your players. And this should yield good results in the future.
I clearly remember the period in Ukrainian football from 1993 to 1996. Most of our clubs were in a real disaster then, but at that time players like Andriy Shevchenko and Serhiy Rebrov began to appear. At that time, unknown foreign footballers came to Ukraine, who grew into stars of European scale. For example, Kakhaber Kaladze, although he appeared in «Dynamo» a bit later, in 1998. Now our football is repeating the same path it already went through in the 90s, unfortunately. We need to be patient.
— By the winter break, Kyiv’s «Dynamo» went as the sole leader, currently having a solid lead from Donetsk’s «Shakhtar», namely ten points. Recently, I had a conversation with Yozhef Szabo, and he said frankly that for him such a situation in the UPL standings was quite unexpected. How about you?
— I would say this: the main competitor of «Dynamo» has dropped the first half of the championship. «Shakhtar» clearly made a mistake with the coach. How could they invite someone to the position of the head specialist who has never been a head coach anywhere? (Pushych briefly coached Dutch «Twente» — editor's note). It is very difficult for him.
— So is it worth dismissing Pushych or not?
— My prediction is that Pushych will be dismissed. Right now, «Shakhtar» is a quite young team (average age 23.9 years — editor’s note), and they need an experienced coach. Not another Pushych all the time. Again, as I have already discussed, he has hardly trained independently. «The miners» need not such a coach. A young team needs an experienced coach. Only that way. And, conversely, an experienced team can sometimes benefit from a young and energetic specialist.
For me, the situation with Pushych at «Shakhtar» is reminiscent of the army. Before going to the front, a soldier undergoes a basic training course and seems to know everything, but once they hit the trenches — that’s it. Stress, shock, and a person gets lost and forgets everything.
As for «Dynamo», if I continue to answer the first question, they have bet on their own, on Oleksandr Shovkovskiy and their own — I mean the academy graduates of the Kyiv club. And it worked, and moreover — it saved money for Ihor Surkis, as it reduced his costs for maintaining a team without expensive legionnaires with large contracts. The expenses have decreased.
Major European clubs have been doing this for years. Don’t Real, Barcelona, Milan, or Inter invest in their own graduates? By the way, I’m currently in Italy, visiting my daughter, and I must say that here local players, Italians, are very popular, not legionnaires.
If we compare Shovkovskiy’s team and Lucescu’s team, there have been two steps up, forward. I think the players of «Dynamo» have become more motivated, they dedicate themselves more on the field, and discipline has improved. Yes, results in the European arena are currently poor, but they will come in due time. A gardener does not get good fruits immediately; you need to wait. Although, Shovkovskiy already has youth who loudly declare themselves. For example, defender Taras Mykhavko or holding midfielder Volodymyr Brazhko. I enjoy seeing how Vladislav Vanat is improving in skill.
Therefore, considering everything I have already mentioned, «Dynamo»'s first place in the standings before the winter break is not surprising to me.
— Will «Dynamo» maintain its ten-point advantage over «Shakhtar»? Let’s read — will the Kyiv team become champions?
— I don’t remember any season in which one of the teams had a ten-point lead and lost it. And, you know, still, the competition in the UPL is quite high when talking about the fight at the top, so… Therefore, yes, «Dynamo» should become the champion.
— And what do you think about the results of «Oleksandriya», which I would boldly call the team-discovery of the first half of the 2024/25 season?
— I would not want to offend «Oleksandriya» in any way, but… Recall that not so long ago, many did not consider Rotan a serious coach at all. Now everyone carries Ruslan in their arms, admires his work. They are already considering him a great one. The way he was perceived before and the way he is now is incorrect.
You know, I would primarily commend the management of «Oleksandriya». They gave Ruslan time, believed in him after a not very successful previous season (eighth place in the final UPL standings — editor’s note). Because we often do the opposite: barely a coach wavers, results start to worsen, and instead of support, he gets kicked out.
In general, it is necessary to emphasize not only the work of the head coach but the whole of his staff, the coaching team. «Oleksandriya» surprised me primarily with its good team play. This is the key to its success in my opinion, since there are very few high-quality football players there. «Oleksandriya» is a typical coaching team, as it is often said.
Before the championship started, I did not think they would collect as many points before the winter break. I thought it would be 30, maybe 32, but not 38 points.
Meanwhile, «Polissya» somewhat stumbled at the start of the championship. The Zhytomyr club, in my opinion, has a coaching problem. Imad Ashur has not fully adapted to the level of the UPL. The team was carried by Hutsuliak and Nazarenko. It is they who ensured about 40 percent of success in the winning matches. Their goals, their assists.
The fifth place of «Polissya», considering their financial conditions, which are much better than those of «Oleksandriya», twice or thrice, if not more, is a low position for them.
— Will this coaching team remain in the second tier until the end of the season?
— I think that «Shakhtar» will ultimately surpass them. Allow me to explain my position. In the first half of the championship, three factors interfered with «Shakhtar» fully concentrating on the UPL competitions: European cups and the lengthy travels associated with them, and the call-ups of leading players to the Ukraine national team.
In February, when the championship resumes, I think «Shakhtar» will no longer play in the Champions League. Therefore, no one will complain about a dense schedule and lack of recovery time. The national team will start its appearances in qualifying for the World Cup 2026 only in September. Therefore, «Shakhtar» will be fully concentrated on the UPL.
«Oleksandriya» ended up in second place before the winter break largely thanks to the dense schedule of «Shakhtar» and «Dynamo». Plus, almost every second player from the «miners» and «white-blues» were called to the national team or youth team. Donor teams for the national team always suffer in the domestic arena.
I recall the match between «Polissya» and «Shakhtar», and, as I see it, the Donetsk team did not win simply because they lacked energy. They played five days before the match in Zhytomyr against «Bayern» in Gelsenkirchen (1:5).
— Which team, from August to December, disappointed you with its results and play?
— For me, number one in this case is «Vorskla», and number two is «Karpaty». I expected much more from the Lviv team. They had serious ambitions before the start of the championship. They even talked about European cups, aiming for them. But they showed very unstable play.
— Did the dismissal of Myron Markevych affect the performance of «Karpaty»?
— I don’t think so. Under Markevych, their performance in the First League did not look cohesive or respectable. I was surprised by the dismissal of Myron Bohdanovych, so to speak, from a moral standpoint. He coached the team, and at the same time, they called in another coach (Vladislav Lupashko — editor’s note), who simply walked around the base for three months. Some unclear, negligent attitude from the club management. A moral and ethical mistake.
Coaches are hired and fired — it is normal. But the manner in which Markevych was dismissed, how it all happened, well… It characterizes the management of «Karpaty» not in a good light. I have plenty of questions for them.
The situation with Markevych somewhat resembles how «Shakhtar» treated Ihor Yovichevych. This all does not pass without a trace for the team. Then the discipline begins to limp, the motivation. Well, aren’t the players blind? They understand that if they can behave that way with the head coach, then the same can happen to them.
— Regarding «Vorskla». There has also been a coaching change in the Poltava club, let’s say. At first, the team was entrusted to Serhiy Dolhansky, but not for long, and they called Maximov back to Poltava. Will Yuriy Vilyovych help the Poltava team equalize their game and improve results?
— I know Maximov very well. From the First League when he started in Kyiv’s «CSKA». He is a very emotional and demanding coach who loves discipline. However, he does not like rotation. He does not trust and ignores young and less experienced players. And because of this, his teams often experienced downs. There is a lack of a full squad for a long distance.
When Maximov first led «Vorskla», he complained that there were no players to play for the team. And at the same time, their reserve team was in first place, if I am not mistaken.
Will Maximov give «Vorskla» an impulse now? I don’t know… There is a saying that where it was really good, you should not go back. Just look at José Mourinho, for example.
Usually, when a coach returns to a former club, they do not repeat their successful experience. Maximov finished the championship twice with «Vorskla» in fifth place, and twice reached the qualifications of the Conference League. That was a good result.
— In the transition and relegation zone are «Lviv Bereh», «Obolon», «Chornomorets», and «Inhulets» (13th to 16th places respectively). Who do you predict will directly drop down a class?
— I am sympathetic to all these teams. Sincerely. I applaud the coach of «Inhulets», Kobin, standing up; he instills an interesting, extraordinary style of play in his team. To me, the team from Petrove has missed about six points. At least. For various reasons. Sometimes they were unlucky, sometimes they didn't play until the end.
It’s difficult to predict who will be relegated, but if we look at the rosters, then «Inhulets» is number one for relegation.
The rest of the teams, in my opinion, are equal. «Obolon» and «Lviv Bereh» will compete until the end over who finishes higher. However, «Chornomorets» should pull out of the relegation zone. As far as I know, everything is fine with their finances.
We’ll see how the teams strengthen in the winter, if they strengthen at all, of course. Because I heard that Shyshchenko, for example, is satisfied with the roster of «Obolon», but… You know, it’s like being a satisfied restaurant owner, but not satisfied with the level of his kitchen, which is why there are no visitors. Currently, the players of «Obolon» lack executive skill. And no matter how great a motivator Shyshchenko is, without reinforcements, nothing good will come of it. Most likely.
— Let’s talk about players. Who, in your opinion, has become the main discovery of the summer-winter period in the UPL?
— Hutsuliak (winger of «Polissya»), Tverdokhlib (midfielder of «Kryvbas»), Martyniuk (defender of «Oleksandriya»), Mykhailenko (midfielder of «Dynamo»), Taras Mykhavko (central defender of «Dynamo»), and Kalyuzhny (holding midfielder of «Oleksandriya»).
This six of players has left the most positive impression on me with the progress of their game.
— If we talk about disappointments, whom would you highlight? Who didn’t meet expectations?
— Sikan (forward of «Shakhtar»), Stepanenko (holding midfielder of «Shakhtar»), Yarmolenko (winger of «Dynamo»), Bondar (defender of «Shakhtar»).
Of course, if we talk about Stepanenko and Yarmolenko, they were hindered by injuries, but I did not think they would practically drop out of their teams' selection.
— The symbolic UPL team after 17 rounds by Oleg Fedorchuk.
— I will take the 4−1−4−1 scheme as a basis. I name Riznyk («Shakhtar») as the best goalkeeper. Regarding the defense, from left to right, I compiled the following quartet: Dibango («Kryvbas»), I admire Ivan’s level, then, in the center, I like how Kampush («Oleksandriya») and Matviyenko («Shakhtar») play, and on the right flank, I would put Konoplya («Shakhtar»).
In the position of holding midfielder, in my opinion, Brazhko («Dynamo») looks best, although he has declined a bit towards the end of the year.
In midfield, Sudakov («Shakhtar») or Shaparenko («Dynamo») in the center, both played on a level, and on the flanks, Hutsuliak («Polissya») on the right and Tverdokhlib («Kryvbas») on the left, although he sometimes plays in the center. I know Yegor well; I remember how I wanted to invite him to the Second League when he was running in the amateurs… I have watched the boy grow before my eyes. A bright example for young guys of how to rise from amateurs to the UPL level in just three seasons.
At the forefront of the attack is Vanat («Dynamo»). Vladislav, despite significant criticism directed at him, is truly the leader of his team’s attack. He scored many goals (ten goals in the UPL — editor's note).
— And finally. Not about the UPL. What is the reason or reasons for the disgraceful performance of Ukrainian clubs in Europe, besides the obvious ones? I am talking about travels, about matches on only conditionally home stadiums, chronic fatigue, which players of «Dynamo» and «Shakhtar» constantly hint at?
— Our teams significantly lag behind European teams in terms of tactics. In the UPL, teams practically do not change their style of play throughout the season, much less during a match. And in Europe, the trends are exactly the opposite.
I have trained teams, although not in the UPL but in the Second League, but they are professional collectives, so I confidently say — to rebuild a team’s tactics, to develop a new scheme, it takes three months. More than 90 days of hard work.
There have been some good flashes in the performance of «Dynamo» and «Shakhtar» in European cups. The Kyiv team played well in the Champions League qualifiers; there were good games from the Donetsk team too, but they lost some of their games themselves. The match against PSV, for example, where they led 2:0 but lost 2:3. A purely coaching defeat. Pushych for some reason replaced precisely those footballers who were playing well at the end of the game — Zubkov and Sikan. I have the impression that Pushych plans substitutions even before the game. Well, it doesn’t work that way. He constantly makes substitutions almost at the same time. Well, how is that even? Being a coach is not about being a cook. I did not boil an egg for five to seven minutes in boiling water and it’s ready — boiled. No.
And it’s easier to blame everything on the war. I believe we need to criticize our footballers more, of course, specifically, and not just in general. It seems to us that journalists and professionals cannot touch the coaches or players any more than before… If only our players lived in Italy, for example, they would understand what real criticism is. Just the other day I watched the Serie A game «Inter» — «Como» (2:0). The Milan team won, but did you hear how their leader Lautaro Martínez was whistled at because he played poorly? Criticism sometimes gives an impulse for development.
Oleksandr Pupchenko