The sports director of Oleksandriya, Ivan Telko, commented on the latest rumors surrounding the club’s midfielder Ivan Kaluzhny.
Ivan Telko. Photo — fco.com.ua— Ivan Andriyovych, media reports indicate that Ivan Kaluzhny may leave Oleksandriya this winter. In particular, there have been reports of interest from Hertha and Metalist 1925. Can you confirm or deny this information?
— As for Hertha, nobody from the German club has contacted us. Have they contacted the player or his agents? I don’t know. Perhaps this information simply did not reach us.
— So, you confirm that there have been no negotiations with Hertha?
— Yes, none.
— Where did this information even come from?
— As far as I know, one of the Ukrainian journalists wrote this information, it got into the media, but no more specifics were provided. I want to emphasize that no one from Hertha has approached either the club, the management, or the president.
— And what about Metalist 1925?
— The situation is approximately the same. Perhaps someone did get in touch with the player or his agent, but there have been no official negotiations between the clubs.
— Have there been official offers for Kaluzhny?
— The only official inquiry for Kaluzhny was from the English club Plymouth.
— Was it a concrete offer or just preliminary talks?
— It was a concrete offer; we considered it, began discussions, but ultimately the parties did not reach an agreement. As of today, the question of Kaluzhny’s transfer to Plymouth is closed.
— Besides Plymouth, there was information about interest from Shakhtar. Was there any contact with them?
— No, Shakhtar has not approached us either officially or unofficially, neither verbally nor in writing. Everything else is just talk, which may have been initiated by agents or other interested parties.
After Ivan was called up to the Ukraine national team, his name has become more “hyped”, which is a normal situation. It's a common story when a person gets a bit of exposure, and various rumors start to circulate around them. I’ll reiterate that we have had no specifics apart from Plymouth.
— Have you discussed the possibility of extending the contract with Ivan Kaluzhny, which, according to Transfermarkt, expires on June 30, 2025?
— Of course, many times.
— Is there any concrete decision on his part?
— From his side—no. We have not received a clear answer from him—“yes” or “no”. As time goes on, we can assume that there are few chances for extending the contract with Ivan.
— So the club made an official offer, and now you are waiting for a response?
— Yes, the offer has been made.
— What conditions were proposed?
— The conditions are better than they were in the previous contract.
— What does Kaluzhny himself plan? Has he discussed his future plans with you?
— So far, we have not received any specific answers from him. Neither regarding his desire to extend the contract, its terms, nor about a possible transfer to another club.
— Is Oleksandriya ready to let Kaluzhny go this winter?
— A rhetorical question. It depends on how much, because we are exchanging this figure for losing one of our key players. This needs to be assessed. I hope that Ivan at least plays for Oleksandriya until the end of the season. Of course, we want Kaluzhny to extend his contract, and then in the summer, if there are offers, we could do this transfer. This is the club's desire, but does it coincide with the desire of Ivan and his representatives? I don’t know.
— If so, for what sum?
— No one can specify figures. A player costs as much as the market is willing to pay for him.
— If at the start of the second half of the season Kaluzhny remains at Oleksandriya but does not extend his contract, will the coaching staff count on him?
— Those who deserve a place on the field will play. The question of whether to play or not is within the competence of the coaching staff. Everything depends on the level of Ivan’s performance.
— Are there options being considered as a replacement for Kaluzhny?
— Such work is ongoing and does not depend on Kaluzhny’s decision. We understand the terms of contracts with players and who could potentially be sold or not. Work is always in progress.
Igor Lisenko
