The former midfielder of Kyiv's Dynamo Vasyl Kardash shared his thoughts on modern domestic football.
Vasyl Kardash“The current level of our championship is not the highest, rather average”
— Are you closely following the teams where you once played — “Dynamo”, “Karpaty” and “Chornomorets”?
— Of course. When I was in Kyiv, I visited stadiums in Obolon, Livy Bereh, and of course went to “Dynamo”. First of all, I want to sincerely congratulate the club's management, coaching staff, players and fans of “Dynamo” on their absolutely deserved championship. The team had a consistent and confident season.
As for “Karpaty”, they had every chance to make it to the top four. It all depended on them. I was present at their last match in Lviv, where everything was decided. Unfortunately, they lost to “Zoria”.
I was saddened by “Chornomorets”. It has been about 30 years since I played for this team, but I still closely follow them. A city like Odesa deserves a team that constantly plays in the Premier League. This is not the first relegation of “Chornomorets”. It is difficult to say why this is happening. But I believe that with a proper professional approach, the team will definitely return to the elite of Ukrainian football and will again delight us with the results we are used to. And this means places in the upper part of the league table.
— What do you think is the current state of Ukrainian football?
— I think everyone understands that the current level of our championship is not the highest, rather average. At the same time, it cannot be said that the middle teams have caught up with the leaders. Rather, on the contrary — the leaders have dropped to the level of the middle teams. There are many reasons for this. First of all — the war. Secondly, the outflow of qualified legionnaires from the Ukrainian championship. No matter what anyone says, strong foreigners really improve the quality of the game. Other players are drawn to them, and this raises the overall level of the team.
— Which Ukrainian team do you like the most in terms of their play?
— If we are talking about professional football, then the result always comes first. The club’s president demands it, fans expect it. No matter how the quality of play may be, if it brings victories — it is justified. Playing beautifully is good, but in professional football, playing beautifully does not always mean being successful.
“This season Vanat has significantly improved and become much more effective”
— Who has been the revelation of this season for you?
— Vanat has significantly improved this season — he has grown, matured, and become much more effective. The number of goals he has scored speaks for itself. If he can transfer all this to matches in the European cups and the national team, it will significantly enhance his reputation. He has all the qualities to become a top-level player. Right now, strikers who know how to score are in demand — clubs from all over Europe are hunting for them. And according to his characteristics, Vanat fully meets these requirements: he is explosive, speedy, and unconventional in his actions. Yes, he may have certain shortcomings, but there are no perfect footballers. Considering his age, such effectiveness is a very good indicator.
— How do you assess the criticism directed at Brazhko and Sudakov this season?
— Young footballers often have one strong season, and everyone expects them to repeat or even improve their results in the next one. You know, in professional football, if a player has two or three seasons at a high level — that’s already an achievement. There are, of course, exceptions like Messi and Ronaldo, who have consistently had bright seasons for decades.
Brazhko is a talented and promising footballer. He started very brightly, but then, at a certain stage, he somewhat lowered his demands on himself. Perhaps his botched transfer to the English championship affected him, and this somewhat knocked him off track.
Sudakov is also a bright footballer who deserves all the praise I said about Vanat and Brazhko. These are our players who have already somewhat established themselves and raised a high bar for the quality of the game. So now, any of their performances that fall below the level they have set is perceived as a failure and is scrutinized.
— What impression did Mykola Mykhailenko’s game make on you?
— I know his qualities very well, as I had the opportunity to work with him. Why did Mykhailenko come out as a starter at “Dynamo” this year? Because he proved with his game that he is currently stronger than Brazhko. The competition between them is only a plus. One will motivate the other. And I do not rule out that they may even play on the field together, complementing each other.
“I noticed the Albanians”
— What is your attitude towards legionnaires in our championship?
— A quality foreign player is — why not? Healthy competition does not hinder anyone. Previously, we said that our championship is strong because it was filled with qualified legionnaires. Besides “Dynamo” and “Shakhtar”, there were strong teams like “Chornomorets”, “Dnipro”, “Metalist”, “Karpaty”, “Zoria”. Half of the table was filled with clubs that proved themselves well not only on the domestic stage but also on the international arena.
— Which legionnaires currently playing in our championship would you highlight?
— I noticed the Albanians Yashari from LNZ, Tsara from “Oleksandriya”, Brazilians Bruninho from “Karpaty” and Bezerra from “Oleksandriya”. These are quality players who to some extent determine the play of their teams. There are quite a few legionnaires in “Shakhtar” who have just arrived at the club. They are very young footballers who need time to adapt. If they invite legionnaires who play at the level of our football players or even inferior to them — I am categorically against such transfers. Otherwise — welcome.
— What are your impressions of the Ukrainian national team’s play?
— There is a lot of talk now about the fact that we have a bright generation of talented young players in the national team. Many of them play abroad in top championships, so overall the level of the national team is currently good.
At the same time, there is one tendency: the national team rarely manages to play two equally quality matches against a strong opponent in a short period. Often the first match turns out well, while the second is disastrous, or — vice versa. That was the case, for example, in matches against Belgium.
Why does this happen? One reason lies on the surface. Only our legionnaires are used to such a schedule, where matches go one after another every three days to the fourth. And the national team footballers, who play in the domestic championship, simply do not have such a workload. Over the season, they — two, three, at most four intense games. And that is not enough to maintain the rhythm at the level of European top national teams.
“Currently, I am fully immersed in football”
— Vasyl Yaroslavovych, how are you? What are you up to now?
— I remain in football. Currently, I am working as the sports director of the Second League football club “Kulykiv-Bilka”. I signed the contract just recently — in this off-season I started performing my duties.
— What responsibilities fall under your role as a sports director?
— First of all, I am responsible for the sports component. This includes communication between the coaching staff and the club management, acquiring and selling players, rental issues, as well as working with the local academy.
— Are there already some developments regarding the club’s transfer policy?
— We have already analyzed the team’s roster and identified the weak spots that need strengthening, and now we are actively working in this direction.
— What do you dedicate your free time to?
— Football occupies almost all of my time — it is both my profession and my hobby. I attend matches at the stadium, watch many television broadcasts, read the press, primarily analytical materials. So, at the moment, I am fully immersed in football.
Oleksandr Petrov
