Former coach of Poland’s Widzew, Piotr Kushlyk, commented on the appointment of Ihor Jovicevic as the head coach of this team, known in Ukraine for his work with Karpaty, Dnipro-1, and Shakhtar.
Piotr Kushlyk— As a player for Karpaty, Jovicevic did not have enough time to fully prove himself, I believe, since he played there only briefly. It’s a different matter with his coaching career. By leading the same Karpaty, the Croatian managed to invigorate the team’s play, clearly showing that he is on the right path in his work.
The professionalism and scrupulousness of Jovicevic are evident from one fact that greatly impressed me: he learned the Ukrainian language so quickly and fluently that even our citizens could envy him. Agreeably, this seemingly insignificant fact actually says a lot.
After leaving a good impression during his time with Karpaty, it was no coincidence that Ihor Jovicevic was invited to Dnipro-1, with whom he won bronze medals. And although there were many discussions about his controversial transition to Shakhtar, this specialist still managed to prove that he is capable of working effectively — winning gold medals.
— Will Ihor Jovicevic be able to achieve the same success with Widzew as with Shakhtar or, let’s say, with the Bulgarian Ludogorets, with whom he won the championship title, the Cup, and the Supercup of the country in the 2024/25 season?
— It’s hard to say. It all depends on the goals of the Polish club and its financial capabilities. After all, when I worked at Widzew, things were not going well. I even had to buy food for the players with my own money in the store. At that time, due to financial problems in business, the president of the Łódź club fled, leaving Widzew to its fate.
Vyacheslav Kulchytskyi
