The Odesa “Chornomorets” has been forced to hold home matches without the usual number of fans for several years now. During the war, when Odesa often finds itself under missile and drone attacks, attending the stadium for safety reasons is prohibited. FC “Chornomorets” has previously appealed for permission to the relevant authorities, but since then the situation has not fundamentally changed.
Now, when the tournament position of the Odesa team requires significant support from supporters, the club is filled with hope that the ban on holding matches with spectators will be softened.
The new head coach of “Chornomorets,” Oleksandr Kuchер, sees the necessity of bringing fans back to the stands for the nearest home match of his team against Lviv’s “Rukh.” His initiative has found support from the club’s management, as a result of which the general director, Anatoliy Mysyura, appealed to the Odesa OVA, which is currently authorized to make the relevant decisions.
— The question of holding matches at our home arena at this time is the prerogative of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, — he said in a comment Sport.ua. — Our request regarding this is currently under consideration. As the OVA decides — so it will be. If they decide that the nearest match with “Rukh” can be held with spectators — then fans will appear in the stands. If not — well, that’s how it will be. In this responsible matter, there are quite a few extremely important safety factors that must be taken into account. However, we will wait for a decision.
As of today, “Chornomorets” is in the penultimate, 15th place in the standings of the Ukrainian championship. It has 18 points.
