For the first time in 10 years, Zarya did not make it to the European Cups
Mentor Zari Yuri Koval summarized the team’s performance in the 2023/24 championship, and also talked about plans for the summer off-season and preparation for the new season.
“In general, I would divide this part of the season into several parts: the beginning of spring, where we played convincingly, had results and a good game. Then there was a disruption due to the fact that some guys were called up to the national team, some were injured, there were pauses, plus missed first-round matches.”
“I thought it would be like during the European Cups – we played a lot of matches, because of them we got in shape, and then it was easier in the championship. But it turned out that these postponed meetings with the leaders, some subjective things and the difficult tournament position did not allow us to breathe easier.”
“We only had 3-4 opportunities to adjust the training process and carry out a normal weekly cycle. This was during the national team break. And again, not in full force, because some players went to defend the honor of their countries. Of course, it’s great that Zarya always has national team players, but at the same time it’s a difficult test for the coaches.”
“When many clubs are fighting for survival, the first thing that interests them is the result and every scoring point is very important – it’s not always about the quality of the game. I repeat, what was most important was the result. Plus there were injuries – a broken rib, a bruised knee joint, several muscle injuries. This all means that the guys tried and fought. Fortunately, we solved the problem at least in advance.”
“Zarya is definitely not in the right place. This is bad. Zarya again managed to get out of a difficult situation. That’s a plus. Now it is important to carry out selection work so as not to repeat the mistakes that were made at the beginning of this championship.”
“Currently, the plans are as follows: we are going to meet on June 23. The team will have 3-4 days for medical examinations. Then we are planning a training camp in Slovenia, where we will most likely play 6 test matches. Slovenia has good climatic conditions, good sparring against Balkan teams. We come back about a week before the season starts, a few days off and back to work.”
“To spend a lot of money in our time and be in the second part of the table – this cannot happen. There are difficulties. Our tasks are maximum. We must understand that there is no coach or club without players. Then follow the training conditions, base, etc. We haven’t played at home for 10 years. But we are working, gradually improving our conditions.”
The Lugansk team started the season under the management of Nenad Lalatovich, then the team was led by Valery Kriventsov. The coaching tandem of Yuri Koval and Mladen Bartulovich completed the 2023/24 campaign.
The season ended was unsuccessful for the Lugansk club, which failed to qualify for European competition for the first time in 10 years. Zarya finished the season in tenth place, gaining 32 points in 30 rounds.
Source: Sportarena
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