Evgeniy Krasnikov – about Metalist, rumors and the national team: “Ukraine is stronger than Albania”

Late autumn is rich in events in Ukrainian football. Ukrainian national team ends performances in League of Nations, First League preparing for the final round of the first stage before vacation. We spoke with the vice president FC Metalist by Evgeniy Krasnikov about the match of our national team, in which many football players play who have worked with Metalist, as well as the performances of Kharkiv residents in the Ukrainian championship 2024/25.

– Evgeniy Alekseevich, how do you assess the autumn part of the season for Metalist? The team got into the championship group and showed a decent game. What are the club’s future prospects?

– First of all, I want to thank the players and the coaching and administrative staff, led by Andrey Anishchenko, who did a huge amount of work. I think the team has made a big step forward over the year. Young football players born in 2006, 2007 and even 2008 are growing before our eyes. We believe that they will grow into high-class players. And, of course, I can’t help but mention the more experienced guys: Vlad Rybak, Sasha MizyukaPetya Luciva, Gabi Gomez, Zhenya IsaenkoDenis Pidruchny and others. Alex recovered from his injuries Chidomere. I would especially like to mention Vitaly Fedorivawho, despite his age, spent an excellent six months and is an example for young football players.

But this is just the beginning. I hope the most interesting things are yet to come. The main thing is to save the team.

— Information from Igor appeared in the media Burbasa about you and Alexey Lyundovsky allegedly lobbying for the appointment of Alexander Kucher as head coach at LNZ. Please comment.

– This information is not true. To be honest, from the leadership of LNZ I know only the general director Andrei Kolesnik, who worked for us, and the sports director Evgeniy Tarasenko. With his friend, Alexey Lyundovsky I communicate often, but I have never discussed the topic of Kucher’s transfer to LNZ with anyone.

– In his program, Igor Tsiganyk said that two days before the game with Minaj, the Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro contacted FIFA with a demand to remove points from Metalist. Tsiganyk made it clear that “legs are growing” from Ukraine. Can you tell us more about this?

– Yes, indeed, we have debts to Vitoria, Sao Paulo and Atletico Mineiro. We came to an understanding with Vitoria, with San—Paulo We are negotiating, but we have not yet found a common language with Atletico Mineiro. FIFA has imposed a transfer ban on us, we treat this with understanding. But, at the moment, we have the opportunity to pay these clubs Bye Nobut we will look for a way out.

I have long heard rumors that indeed some UPL club scouts approached Atlético Mineiro with such a request. But this is all at the level of rumors, there is no evidence, and I believe that there is no need to dwell on this topic. But the fact that Atlético Mineiro, two days before the game with Minaj, contacted FIFA with a demand to deduct points from us is really true.

– Today the Ukrainian national team is playing, which includes players who took their first steps in football at Metalist when you were the club’s sports director: Mudrik, Sudakov, Lunin, Kryskiv, Kalyuzhny. How do you assess our team’s chances in the game with Albania?

— The question is very complex and cannot be answered in a few words. My opinion is that before Euro 2024, journalists and experts gave big advances to our national team, saying that this is the most talented generation. And after the defeat from Romania, the total destruction of both the coach and the players began.

As for me, we have a young, promising team. Rebrov summons all the strongest, but, unfortunately, he is limited in choice players. For example, the game with Romania. Literally a few days before the match he gets injured left back Vitaly Mykolenko. And I understood that for Rebrov this was akin to a disaster. Zinchenko is a high-quality football player, I have been following him since childhood, but I think that he is a player in the attack group. He can score himself, he can give an assist, but with all due respect to the players of our national team, the functions of the left back in Manchester City and Arsenal are different from the functions of the left back in the Ukrainian national team. By the way, we missed all three goals from Romania from the left flank.

You see, sometimes one player can make the difference for a team. I can give you one example. The best football player in the world, Lionel Messi, traveled to the World Cup and Copa America many times, and the Argentine national team squads were stronger than the current ones, and Messi himself was younger. And he failed to win either one or the other. But with the advent of goalkeeper Martinez, who took 4 or 5 penalty shootouts in these tournaments, Messi became a world champion and won two America’s Cups. Therefore, those who criticize Rebrov and the national team should, it seems to me, look much deeper. Same Romania… There are a lot of guys there who play in England, Italy, Spain and so on. Or the Albanian national team. Look at the lineup, there are 8 or 9 people competing in leading European championships.

Regarding today’s games, I am sure that it will be very difficult for us, because, most likely, we will play first, and the organized Albanian team will defend and catch us on counterattacks. The big minus is the absence of one of the team leaders, Viktor Tsigankov.

But with all this, we have a group of very talented football players. First of all, there is Misha Mudrik, whom I consider one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe and who can create chances out of nothing. There is Artem Dovbik – the best scorer of the Spanish Championship last season, Shaparenko, Sudakov, Brazhko. A qualified defense line led by the experienced Matvienko. An excellent group of goalkeepers – Trubin, Buschan. Unfortunately, Lunin did not come, but Riznyk was called up instead, whom I consider the best player in the Ukrainian championship at the moment.

My opinion is that Ukraine is stronger than Albania. And if each of the players on our team plays at their own level, then victory will definitely be ours. We believe in the team!