Yuriy Vernydub: I invite everyone to the Cup final

- Yuriy Mykolayovych, congratulations on your win! Many sceptics say that there is no football in Ukraine - this time the teams have shown the opposite...
- Let me start just with this. If audiences don’t like this kind of football... I, primarily, feel thankful to the fans who came to support both Shakhtar and Zorya. It’s much nicer to play in front of the people in the stands. When the stadium is empty, that’s quite another thing. I think the guys thanked the audience by the fact that they showcased some remarkable football. This applies to both teams. Five goals have been scored, that’s more than enough. The sixth goal was disallowed. So I am happy and proud of my players, they really showed good football in every aspect: defensively, in terms of transition from defence to blistering attack and backwards.

- Today, a few kep players were absent, such as Rafael Forster and Nikita Kamenyuka. What happened to them?
- You know that in five days,  on the sixth one, we will have a very important Cup final against Shakhtar Donetsk. I understand that Mister also gave some rest to many of his key players. There were virtually no Brazilians on the pitch, except for Nem. I saw it, being aware of the fact. Plus the unpleasant situation with injuries of the fullbacks Vasyl Kobin and Vyacheslav Shevchuk. In general, the opponents fielded many youngsters. I think, in Lviv we will find it two or three times harder, because the Pitmen also want to win the trophy this year. Unfortunately, they failed to claim the gold medals, only silver ones. Shakhtar are an ambitious team, they will also try to win. We have the same situation. We’ve lost something we could have earned - our first bronze. But we lost the genuine and fair competition against Dnipro. Once again, my congratulations to Dnipro on the occasion – on winning the rivalry for the third spot. But we managed to beat the same Dnipro and reach the Cup final. That’s a trophy as well. Unfortunately, over my career, I didn’t enjoy numerous titles, just raising the Russia Cup back in 1999. Therefore, I hope that my boys will give me another trophy, finally the Ukrainian Cup one. I really want it and hope so. Let the better side win! It will be very good football.

- In the final, will you field Andriy Totovytskyi in the starting line-up or keep him as a dark horse?
- With regard to everything connected with the final, you can see that I gave rest to many lads. In particular, to Mykyta Kamenyuka, because the captain was involved in every game. I haven’t even put him on the team list. He will be preparing directly for the Cup final. Besides, I gave rest to Andriy Totovytskyi, without fielding him immediately, as well as to Filip Budkovskyi... You must have seen it: I didn’t field the optimum line-up. Plus the central defender Rafael. I understand that there are guys who have played less. But once again have I made sure that they deserve to be fielded from the off. They have proved it through their today’s performance, their attitude and will to win. On this occasion, I invite all of you, both amateurs and football fans, to come to the Arena Lviv and support the Cup final. And I want the same aura be present there just as at the Slavutych-Arena today. I'm very proud of the fact that so many people have come and rooted for them, for both Shakhtar and Zorya. The aura is very good! I would like it to continue in the future and take place at all our stadiums. It will be great.