The captain of "Zorya" Philipp Budkovsky commented on his debut goal and the first victory of the Luhansk team in 2025 in an interview with Sport.ua.
Philipp Budkovsky (photo: zarya-lugansk.com)— Philipp, how would you rate Zorya’s first victory in the UPL in 2025? You achieved this in the match against Rukh, winning 2:0.
— Winning is always good. But it is worth noting that after we scored the first goal, we relaxed a bit. We could have paid for that. But basically, the game went well in the second half. And we brought it to a victorious outcome. And that is the most important thing.
— Are you satisfied with your participation in both goals? In the first instance, you assisted Oleksandr Yatsyk, and in the second, you scored with your head.
— Yes, I’m satisfied. Of course, I wanted to score more. But scoring one goal is also good. For a forward, the main thing is to score and for the team to win.
— Your header goal was quite interesting. You sent the ball into the net almost from the spot, jumping a little. How would you comment on it?
— Yatsyk crossed to me, and I scored. Basically, we did what the coaches say to do. It turned out quite well. There was also a moment when I hit the post. And in the moment of the goal, Yatsyk crossed, and I was where I needed to be. I won the aerial duel and scored. And that’s the main thing.
— This is your 5th goal in this UPL season. The top scorer of the league, Vladyslav Vanat from Dynamo, has 11 accurate shots. What target do you set in terms of goals scored?
— I want to score in every match. The main thing is to have moments, and we will work on the realization. I would like to score ten goals this season. Everything will depend on me and the team.
— How did the team celebrate the first victory of the new year overall?
— Everyone in the club is generally satisfied. We will move forward. Next, we have a tough game against Obolon. We will prepare for this match and then see how it goes on the field.
— Are you not thinking about Dynamo yet? Only about Obolon?
— We are talking about the next match. The game against Dynamo will be later, yes.
— Zorya has approached the sixth place, where Karpaty is currently. Can we say that the Luhansk team is getting closer to its traditional positions?
— Yes, I want to take a higher place and qualify for the European cups. If we play balanced and do not lose points, then basically anything is possible. Now all teams are close together. And every game is important.
Dmytro Kotkov
