The new head coach of 'Livyi Bereh', Oleksandr Ryabokon, talked about whether he has already settled into the new club, future plans, and detailed circumstances of his contract termination with 'Lisny'.
Oleksandr Ryabokon— Oleksandr Dmytrovych, congratulations on your new position and victory over 'Podillya', strong start.
— Thank you. I would also like to thank Vyacheslav Nivinskyi because, in fact, he prepared the team for this game. I was more involved in theory, tactics for the game, and analyzing the opponent. We played well, and from now on, step by step, I will manage the process.
— Before I start asking you about 'Livyi Bereh', let’s clear things up regarding your departure from 'Lisny'. I had a conversation with the club director Viktor Zelinskyi, but he did not clearly say whether you left the club voluntarily, or the club let you go to another team, but it is definitely known that they owed you. Detail it.
— After my last game at the helm of 'Lisny' (11th round of the Second League, a 0:3 defeat from 'Kulykiv Bilky' — ed.), I received a call from representatives of 'Livyi Bereh', and the next day I met with president Mykola Lavrenko. There was a good man-to-man conversation, not only about football but also some life views, after which we quickly agreed on cooperation.
After that, I contacted the director of 'Lisny', Viktor Zelinskyi, explained the situation to him, and he did not object [to signing the employment agreement with 'Livyi Bereh' and leaving his club]. So we terminated the contract and only after that, I signed the agreement with 'Livyi Bereh'.
— Did you leave 'Lisny', which, with your active participation, grew from an amateur club to a professional one and became a leader of the Second League, with a light heart or did some issues remain unresolved?
— You see, if there had been a normal situation... And I am not just talking about large salary debts but in general. For instance, regarding the training process. If I managed to conduct two or three training sessions in a weekly cycle, that was already good. And despite all this, sometimes half of the team simply did not show up for sessions because they didn’t even have the money to get there. And in general, many players have already found other jobs... As loaders, installers, because people need to earn a living. Therefore, when I received a job offer from 'Livyi Bereh', I agreed.
— You mentioned the financial aspect in our previous conversation, stating that you were owed money by the leaders of 'Lisny', and Zelinskyi confirmed this. He even said that when everything is settled, you will be paid back the debt. Do you believe in your former director’s words, or is the debt such a thing that is waited on for three years and forgotten in the fifth in this case?
— I did not receive any salary in 'Lisny' from the start of the club’s performances in the Second League, nor did any of the players. Therefore, I do not know if it’s realistic to get anything back... But, despite all this, I have normal relationships with Zelinskyi. Viktor is a person who is fanatically in love with football, but he is not the one funding the club. His functions are different. There are no questions or complaints to Zelinskyi because even in moments when there was no money left at all, he paid out of his own pocket so that the team could travel for a match or train.
— Your story with 'Lisny' has ended, but what about the main stars of this club — Denys Harmash and Serhii Rybalka? I doubt the guys will play for free.
— Harmash and Rybalka stayed in 'Lisny', played against Kyiv’s 'Atlet' (2:3). The club found some sum of bonuses, gathered the team, though there wasn’t a single training session after the previous match. In such conditions, you understand, how it is to work, which is why they lost...
— Regarding 'Livyi Bereh'. Has the club president already announced the goal for the first round, or maybe for the entire championship? Mykola Lavrenko is known to be an ambitious person as far as I know.
— Initially, it’s about some reformatting of the team — composition, playing style. However, considering the ambitions of the president and the conditions present in 'Livyi Bereh', along with the team’s composition — we must fight for promotion to the UPL, in other words, for returning the team to the Premier League. There are still many games ahead, chances exist.
If we don’t finish first or second and advance directly, we will try to do so through the playoffs, finishing third or fourth.
— Have you familiarized yourself with the team closely, have you memorized all the players by name?
— I already knew the majority of the 'Livyi Bereh' players by name — 90 percent for sure. The acquaintance with the team happened very quickly, very efficiently, so to say, in a day or two: signed the contract, introduced to the team, training, departure for the match with 'Podillya'.
— Often, when a coach moves from one team to another, a richer one, they bring along some of their former players. For instance, as Rotan did, inviting Filippov, Kravchenko, and Shepelev to 'Oleksandriia'. Do you intend to bring some trusted fighters from 'Lisny' to 'Livyi Bereh'?
— Probably, that’s how it will be — I will suggest to the management to invite a few players from 'Lisny'. There are enough creative performers of good standard there. Obviously, it will be a couple of players, no more. And currently, this issue is not about time.
— A couple of players — Harmash and Rybalka, I presume, or are Denys and Serhii no longer up to the First League’s demands?
— Harmash and Rybalka can still play in the First League and higher, but... These talks are currently irrelevant. As I said, it’s not the time. I need to fully adjust to 'Livyi Bereh', achieve certain results before approaching the management with specific requests regarding certain players I would like to see in my team. To be convincing (smiles).
Now I will work with the players who are currently in the team. And, it should also be considered that there’s a second team of 'Livyi Bereh', and there are also promising players there worth reviewing.
— What about your coaching staff, have you formed it yet?
— No, I am still forming it. Mykola Ishchenko will work with me, he previously played for 'Livyi Bereh'. I knew him before I came to the Kyiv team, we talked in recent days. He is an easy-going person, and it will be simple and comfortable working with him. He will definitely be working on the staff one hundred percent, but it’s possible that there will be other familiar specialists, possibly from 'Lisny'.
Victor Glukhyi
