Former player of the Ukrainian national team and now expert Oleg Shelaev shared his expectations for the second part of the season in Ukrainian football:
— Honestly, I didn’t think that Dynamo would pull so far ahead of their pursuers. This is one of the differences of the current UPL championship from previous ones.
— Can we say that the question of the owner of the gold medals is already off the agenda?
— No. For various reasons, the level of the UPL participants has noticeably equalized, and the giants of Ukrainian football need to be on guard in each match. Although after the exit in January from the European Cups, Dynamo and Shakhtar will have the opportunity to focus only on the domestic arena, their opponents will try to make their lives difficult. In my opinion, fierce battles at both ends of the tournament table will continue until the last matches.
— In your opinion, which teams will still reach the podium?
— Dynamo, Shakhtar, and Oleksandriya, although a lot will depend on how Kyivans perform in the transfer market in the coming months. They urgently need reinforcements.
— And who will not escape direct relegation?
— Inhulets and Chornomorets. The residents of Odessa will suffer significantly from the transfer ban.
— Who would you name as the discovery of 2024 in Ukrainian football?
— Among those players competing in the UPL, I am pleased with the progress of Oleksandr Nazarenko from Polissia, and our legionnare Ilya Zabarnyi is rapidly improving.
— And from whom did you expect more?
— Primarily from Shakhtar, which has failed both in the UPL and in the Champions League. Although the miners still have a small chance to save the season. I am disappointed with the series of failures of Dynamo in the Europa League. Unfortunately, we have what we have. The low level of the UPL is adversely affecting the performance of our representatives on the international stage, where they are losing ground every year.
— Then, how do you assess the chances of the national team of Ukraine in March in the Nations League, which started this year?
— You know, in playoff matches, anything can happen, so I believe that the Ukrainians can achieve the desired result against the Belgians.
— And can Ukrainians count on the help of Mykhailo Mudryk, who has fallen into a doping scandal, in these confrontations?
— I still tend to believe that his disqualification cannot be avoided. Now, it’s important to make efforts so that the Ukrainian does not end up away from football for a long time.
Andriy Pisarenko