Former head coach of Kyiv “Obolon” Valery Ivashchenko shared his impressions about the first part of the current Ukrainian championship and made a prediction about what to expect at the finish of the tournament.
Valery Ivashchenko“The main thing is that in Ukraine, despite the war situation, football has not disappeared at all. I agree that the level of the championship in the UPL has dropped, but I am convinced that after the victory over the Russian aggressor, we will be able to catch up.
It’s encouraging that there are almost no easy matches, even for the recognized domestic giants — “Shakhtar” and “Dynamo” — they have to act at their maximum to earn those coveted points. The level of the teams in the elite division has somewhat evened out, the Dynamo players and “miners” are still in the lead due to greater stability, however, the pursuers have caught up thanks to their resilience and strong desire to be in the spotlight.
Who would I highlight for their performances last autumn? “Alexandria,” it feels like this is a well-coached team. Ruslan Rotan’s players have been memorable for their balance, teamwork, and rightfully contend for a place on the podium.
In the current conditions, it’s hard to predict what the finish will be like. Much will depend on how the teams prepare for new challenges, whether they can strengthen their squads? Still, I think that Dynamo has enough of a points cushion with which they went into the winter break to claim the championship title. Although the “miners” will fight until the end.
As for the losers, right now “Chornomorets” and “Ingulec” have the worst chances, but I wouldn’t rush to bury the players from Petrovka. They are geared towards attack, will constantly play at home, so they can still create a stir and save themselves. Therefore, we can expect fierce competition in literally every match, which significantly fuels interest in the domestic Premier League,” — said Ivashchenko.
