The now former head coach of «Minai» Zeljko Lubenovich commented on his departure from this club, which was officially announced yesterday.
Zeljko Lubenovich. Photo — fcminaj.com— Zeljko, your cooperation with «Minai» has come to an end. Do you still believe that this needed to be done earlier?
— We will never know about that. (Smiles).
— When were you informed about the decision to terminate your contract?
— On Monday, we agreed on everything over the phone, and the next day I came to Uzhhorod.
— Were you able to meet with the president of «Minai» while you were in Ukraine?
— Unfortunately, we couldn't. Valeriy Ivanovich [Peresolyak] was constantly in touch with me. I parted well with the management of «Minai» and the players. They are also trying to help me find a team. We part on a positive note.
— Were you able to say goodbye to the players?
— I said goodbye to everyone.
— There was news in our media that you allegedly reproached the players of «Minai» for the failures in the First League casting a shadow on your reputation. Did this happen?
— That's completely untrue. The players I worked with can confirm this. The team was always my priority. I put myself in the background.
— During your time off, did you rethink anything regarding the situation you and «Minai» found yourselves in?
— I believe I had a successful year, gaining my first experience as a head coach. There were moments of rise and fall, but the main thing is to draw conclusions from this and move forward.
— You managed to work in the UPL and the First League. Did you notice the difference between both divisions?
— In my opinion, the war does not allow teams in both leagues to fully accelerate. The situation itself is tense and does not allow players and officials to reveal their potential. I hope it will all end soon, everyone will exhale, and football in Ukraine will flourish.
— As a coach, you proved to be a discoverer of talents. You helped many restart their careers, and some announced themselves in big football.
— I don’t want to praise myself. The facts speak for themselves. I am happy for everyone; they are constantly in touch with me and are grateful.
There should always be a balance. We focused on youth, but without experienced players, things won’t work out. Everyone discouraged me from inviting Vakula with his background. I am glad that Vlad was able to find himself and make the next step.
— Did the news about your farewell to «Minai» awaken any interest in you?
— No one reached out to me. I repeat, the only option to leave [«Minai»] that I had was «Inhulets».
— Are you returning to Serbia?
— Yes. For now, I will be at home. Just sitting idly is not my way. I will go for an internship to gain the experience and knowledge that will help me.
— Do you have any agreements in place?
— For now, I can say that it’s interesting to observe the work of colleagues at home. Recently [in Serbia], many football pitches have been built, and the infrastructure has grown. The speed of thinking of footballers and coaching ideas are at a high level. If earlier all small clubs sold the best players to «Crvena Zvezda» or «Partizan», now they are sending players directly to Europe. I find all this very interesting, as I haven't lived in Serbia for a long time.
Oleksandr Karpenko
