Will Yuri Vernydub continue working at “Kryvbas”, said CEO of Phenomen Sports Yaroslav Kondratiuk.
Yaroslav Kondratiuk and Yuri Vernydub— Let me start with a clarification of the insiders’ words. Firstly, Yuri Mykolaiovych has no agents — there is only a company that is properly authorized to represent his interests.
Regarding offers. With such experience, level, merits, and the number of trainees who reached the top level, as well as the fact that he is the only Ukrainian head coach to have performed decently in the group stage of the Champions League (even if not with a Ukrainian team) in the last (likely) decade, Yuri Mykolaiovych does not need to be “offered”, “sold” or “advertised”.
This is a person whose reputation, in my opinion, is so strong that it is hardly damaged by individual leaks or biased information from clubs, bloggers, journalists, or fans. When, after regular matches, after being awarded bronze medals, the entire stadium chants “Vernydub” — everything falls into place. Because this is a sincere, incorruptible moment. It cannot be imitated. Just like the applause of journalists at post-match press conferences. Just like the dozens of requests for interviews from foreign media (for example, The Guardian) or interest from clubs not only from Poland, Azerbaijan, or Bulgaria, but also from countries in the Asian region. All of this is a clear marker of competitiveness in any market.
Before talking about this personality, those who spread favorable information should recall the tens of millions of dollars in income from transfers made under this coach, the millions earned by clubs for participating in European cups, and the overall contribution of this person to the development of Ukrainian football. I will not emphasize, but I will simply remind you of Real Madrid at “Santiago Bernabeu” — you will say again that these are “past merits”. But the fact remains a fact.
— And what is the current status of negotiations regarding where Vernydub will spend the next season — both with “Kryvbas” and possible new workplaces?
— Answering your question as the owner of a company authorized to represent Yuri Mykolaiovych’s interests: neither he nor his representatives have contacted any club at this stage. Further, it will be Yuri Mykolaiovych who will decide where to continue his career — based on ambitions and his internal feeling of the right choice.
— Where then is the information about such negotiations coming from?
— Those who are currently spreading information about purported “Vernydub’s contacts with other clubs” can directly verify its accuracy. In this context, I want to say one thing: gratitude for what has been done should not be a reason for shame or a basis for unfounded accusations.
— The season will conclude with a face-to-face confrontation of contenders for European cups, and the match “Polissya” — “Kryvbas” will take place in the small homeland of Vernydub. Are the current rumors related to this central match of the tour or to possible future employment options for Yuri Mykolaiovych?
— When there is a risk that an objective and principled person will end up in a serious project where there will be no place for bias and corruption — the “game” begins: information attacks, media manipulations, accusations. Because when someone truly keeps their word but does not shout about it at every turn, there will always be those who are irritated by it.
Oleksandr Kalinin
