Maksym Ivanov moved to Italy in the summer of 2024 from 'Kolos'. His first club was 'Sampdoria', which historically has a Ukrainian connection thanks to the performances of Oleksii Mykhailychenko and later Vladyslav Supriaha.
Maksym IvanovOnce a legendary club, it is now not experiencing its best times. American investors have brought the team down to Serie B. The academy level is also not high. Maksym used the season at 'Sampdoria' for adaptation—perfecting his language skills, and began attending an Italian school.
This summer, Ivanov tried his skills at 'Empoli' at the Primavera level. 'Empoli' has one of the strongest academies in Italy. Maksym tried his skills against players two to three years older. Another Ukrainian diamond, Bohdan Popov, plays in the 'Empoli' lineup, who has quickly progressed in this club, already scoring for the first team, and is being called up to Ukraine’s youth national team. If things continue this way, a move to a prestigious Serie A club is not far off.
Ivanov did not remain at 'Empoli' for only one reason—a change of coach in the U-17 category. You need to play at 16 years old. The Ukrainian’s new team also became a Serie B club, 'Virtus Entella', which agreed to take the Ukrainian legionnaire even without a trial.
Obviously, immediately counting on regular playing practice was not expected, as Maksym was finishing his stint with 'Sampdoria' and training with another team. In Italy, the tactical component means a lot. To understand the demands of a new coach, time is needed. At the start of November, the Ukrainian legionnaire began playing for the new club.
For many Ukrainian fans, 'Virtus Entella' is an unknown club. It is a Serie B club with a rather good own academy. It left no chances for the same 'Sampdoria'—5:2, shared points with the big academies of 'Juventus' and 'Parma'.
Ivanov can play in any position on the flank, whether as a full-back or a winger. For me, his optimal position is based on his speed qualities. If there is space, you won’t catch him anymore. No wonder he is compared to Usain Bolt for his excellent speed qualities.
At the end of spring, he was called up to the Ukrainian National Team camp of 2009 for a friendly tournament in Finland. Maksym did not show his best qualities then, as he was just finishing his tenure with 'Sampdoria'. The Genoa club, realizing they were losing a player, deprived him of playing practice.
I believe that Ivanov has very good chances to play at a high level in Italy. Many teams there play with three central defenders and greatly value players who can play across the whole flank. Maksym’s speed qualities are very good. Ivanov has one distinctly expressed quality—speed.
Serhii TYSHCHENKO
