Everyone has progressed, both as a team and individually
Friday, December 26, 2025
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Shakhtar U19 head coach Oleksii Bielik reflects on the results of the first half of the U19 National League, progress and plans for the winter break
– How do you assess the results of the first half of the season?
– Overall, I assess the results positively, as we are a team that occupy first spot and have a small lead over their pursuers, which is certainly pleasing. It is also worth noting that, compared to previous seasons, we use fewer players from the graduation year, that is, those born in 2006. At the moment, three of them regularly get playing time: Tsukanov, Smetana and Bundash. The squad also includes Lomaha and Tryfanenko, although they get fewer minutes on the pitch. Currently, the squad balance is shifted towards younger players, particularly those born in 2007–2008. Sometimes we play against opponents who field players from the graduation year, integrated into the first team training process and professional senior football, which undoubtedly accelerates their progress. This pleases me as a coach because it gives us the opportunity to compete against opponents who sometimes have a physical advantage. In such matches, we rely on our own strengths, namely technique and football intelligence, and we come out on top in most cases, which is reflected in our league standing.
– Traditionally, the youth team squad undergoes changes during the summer pre-season: more experienced players are replaced by younger ones. Who has shown the most progress in the first half of the season?
– Basically, I’m confident that everyone has progressed, both as a team and individually. I don’t want to single anyone out because youth football is very dynamic and unpredictable. The boys who have joined us from Shakhtar U17 are still in the process of developing as professional individuals. Many factors influence a young player’s development and during this period. We are talking about parents, girlfriends, agents, and their immediate environment, which makes youth football highly unstable. I won’t highlight anyone in particular because a footballer might perform at a high level for two or three matches, and then be affected by one of these factors, while another player takes over. The best indicator of progress is the call-ups to Ukraine national teams across various age groups. We have many players receiving invitations to the training camps of Ukraine U19 and U21, whereas previously such call-ups were less frequent, and this fact alone best demonstrates their progress.
– Shakhtar U19 are the highest-scoring team in the first part of the season, and it’s well known that you place significant emphasis on attack. How would you assess the work in both attack and defence?
– We are indeed the team that have scored the most goals, although we do concede due to mistakes; however, this is more of a side effect of our attacking style. We try to find a balance in every match, but when we go onto the pitch, we always aim to score and never act thinking only about keeping a clean sheet. We aim to be the kind of team whose attacking play compensates for defensive errors, and this does not mean we neglect our defensive work. In fact, we work a lot on that component, while also wanting to attract fans with attacking football. As a coach, speaking with many specialists, I understand that many rightly point out: it’s very difficult to develop players for the first team if you advocate attacking football as Ukrainian footballers find it challenging to compete with Brazilians in the squad. However, we will not deviate from this path because I’m convinced we have attacking players who will soon be able to compete effectively with Brazilian players in the forward line. As a coach, together with my staff, I will do everything possible to ensure that this competition is high-quality and productive for Ukrainian football as a whole.
– What were the main challenges for Shakhtar during the first half of the season?
– When players join the squad, with the exception, let’s say, of Kanteh, they are usually from the younger academy groups. The challenge is that there is always a temptation to focus more on the ball, on technical or tactical aspects, because everyone loves beautiful attacks, passes and goals. But there comes a moment when a player must be physically developed, as this is the stage when physical readiness is formed. We understand that everyone is different: some mature earlier, some are taller, some have more developed muscles, so the task is to find an individual approach for everyone. For this reason, the training process is designed to combine technical and tactical work with physical loads and muscle development. This is very specific, but extremely important work at a young age. I recall cases where younger players joining us initially struggled with certain loads, but now they show significant progress, which clearly affects their performance on the pitch.
– Which match since the start of the season would you call exemplary and which was disappointing?
– I’ll start with the disappointment. I can’t say there were matches that upset me in terms of the overall play, but there was the first half against Kudrivka U19, after which we were trailing 0-1. The team went onto the pitch too relaxed and, for some reason, expected the opponents to simply give us points. The performance in all aspects was at a very low level, though we managed to correct the situation in the second half. Another moment that comes to mind is the second half against Rukh U19, when we were leading 3-0 at half-time and had completely outplayed the opponents. During the break, we agreed not to stop, despite the referee factor, which we had to take into account. At the same time, credit must be given to the opponents who showed character in a difficult situation and reduced the score to 3-2. These are practically the only halves where we played below our potential; there were no other matches that disappointed us. As for exemplary matches, there were plenty. We achieved big wins against strong teams such as Kryvbas U19, Obolon U19 and Veres U19. If we focus on the first part of the season, the most memorable experience was the international tournament Memorial Mladen Ramljak 2025 and the match against PSG U19, even though we finished last in the tournament. This was not a match against a sports school or a branch team, but against the real PSG U19, with players who had already debuted for the first team in the French championship. It was the best match in terms of quality of play, which we won 4-0. It’s even hard to recall any negative moments, as we completely outplayed the opponents and could have scored even more. There were plenty of similar matches in the domestic championship as well.
– Tell us about the plans for the winter break.
– The team will be resting until January 10, and during this time each player will have an individual programme of tasks from the fitness coach to ensure they are in proper shape for the intense work during the training camp. Previously, we used to head straight to a training camp in Türkiye after the break, but this time we will start preparations in Shchaslyve, focusing on physical aspects. After that, we will travel to Türkiye on January 23. We plan to play six friendly matches initially and I hope we can arrange even more if possible. At the end of February, we will return to Ukraine and continue preparing for the championship.
– What would you like to wish the team and the fans for the New Year?
– I wish the team return mentally and physically refreshed as there is tough work ahead at the training camp. The preparation period during the camp is always challenging, especially for young players, so I want everyone to come back in good spirits and with positive energy. The most important thing is to avoid injuries because I know that players take part in various active games during the break, and I can’t restrict them in this, but they need to be responsible. I hope the team return complete and continue what we started in the first part of the season – progressing and achieving the set goals. As for the fans, I wish them above all good health, peace and that they enjoy only positive emotions from our play. We will put in a lot of effort to make this happen and I can assure them that the team will give them nothing to be ashamed of. I would also like to thank the supporters who back us at every match and are always in the stands regardless of where we play, even if there aren’t many of them. May their enthusiasm never wane because it is precisely their support that provides extra motivation and inspiration for Shakhtar U19 to progress and achieve its goals.
– Overall, I assess the results positively, as we are a team that occupy first spot and have a small lead over their pursuers, which is certainly pleasing. It is also worth noting that, compared to previous seasons, we use fewer players from the graduation year, that is, those born in 2006. At the moment, three of them regularly get playing time: Tsukanov, Smetana and Bundash. The squad also includes Lomaha and Tryfanenko, although they get fewer minutes on the pitch. Currently, the squad balance is shifted towards younger players, particularly those born in 2007–2008. Sometimes we play against opponents who field players from the graduation year, integrated into the first team training process and professional senior football, which undoubtedly accelerates their progress. This pleases me as a coach because it gives us the opportunity to compete against opponents who sometimes have a physical advantage. In such matches, we rely on our own strengths, namely technique and football intelligence, and we come out on top in most cases, which is reflected in our league standing.
– Traditionally, the youth team squad undergoes changes during the summer pre-season: more experienced players are replaced by younger ones. Who has shown the most progress in the first half of the season?
– Basically, I’m confident that everyone has progressed, both as a team and individually. I don’t want to single anyone out because youth football is very dynamic and unpredictable. The boys who have joined us from Shakhtar U17 are still in the process of developing as professional individuals. Many factors influence a young player’s development and during this period. We are talking about parents, girlfriends, agents, and their immediate environment, which makes youth football highly unstable. I won’t highlight anyone in particular because a footballer might perform at a high level for two or three matches, and then be affected by one of these factors, while another player takes over. The best indicator of progress is the call-ups to Ukraine national teams across various age groups. We have many players receiving invitations to the training camps of Ukraine U19 and U21, whereas previously such call-ups were less frequent, and this fact alone best demonstrates their progress.
– Shakhtar U19 are the highest-scoring team in the first part of the season, and it’s well known that you place significant emphasis on attack. How would you assess the work in both attack and defence?
– We are indeed the team that have scored the most goals, although we do concede due to mistakes; however, this is more of a side effect of our attacking style. We try to find a balance in every match, but when we go onto the pitch, we always aim to score and never act thinking only about keeping a clean sheet. We aim to be the kind of team whose attacking play compensates for defensive errors, and this does not mean we neglect our defensive work. In fact, we work a lot on that component, while also wanting to attract fans with attacking football. As a coach, speaking with many specialists, I understand that many rightly point out: it’s very difficult to develop players for the first team if you advocate attacking football as Ukrainian footballers find it challenging to compete with Brazilians in the squad. However, we will not deviate from this path because I’m convinced we have attacking players who will soon be able to compete effectively with Brazilian players in the forward line. As a coach, together with my staff, I will do everything possible to ensure that this competition is high-quality and productive for Ukrainian football as a whole.
– What were the main challenges for Shakhtar during the first half of the season?
– When players join the squad, with the exception, let’s say, of Kanteh, they are usually from the younger academy groups. The challenge is that there is always a temptation to focus more on the ball, on technical or tactical aspects, because everyone loves beautiful attacks, passes and goals. But there comes a moment when a player must be physically developed, as this is the stage when physical readiness is formed. We understand that everyone is different: some mature earlier, some are taller, some have more developed muscles, so the task is to find an individual approach for everyone. For this reason, the training process is designed to combine technical and tactical work with physical loads and muscle development. This is very specific, but extremely important work at a young age. I recall cases where younger players joining us initially struggled with certain loads, but now they show significant progress, which clearly affects their performance on the pitch.
– Which match since the start of the season would you call exemplary and which was disappointing?
– I’ll start with the disappointment. I can’t say there were matches that upset me in terms of the overall play, but there was the first half against Kudrivka U19, after which we were trailing 0-1. The team went onto the pitch too relaxed and, for some reason, expected the opponents to simply give us points. The performance in all aspects was at a very low level, though we managed to correct the situation in the second half. Another moment that comes to mind is the second half against Rukh U19, when we were leading 3-0 at half-time and had completely outplayed the opponents. During the break, we agreed not to stop, despite the referee factor, which we had to take into account. At the same time, credit must be given to the opponents who showed character in a difficult situation and reduced the score to 3-2. These are practically the only halves where we played below our potential; there were no other matches that disappointed us. As for exemplary matches, there were plenty. We achieved big wins against strong teams such as Kryvbas U19, Obolon U19 and Veres U19. If we focus on the first part of the season, the most memorable experience was the international tournament Memorial Mladen Ramljak 2025 and the match against PSG U19, even though we finished last in the tournament. This was not a match against a sports school or a branch team, but against the real PSG U19, with players who had already debuted for the first team in the French championship. It was the best match in terms of quality of play, which we won 4-0. It’s even hard to recall any negative moments, as we completely outplayed the opponents and could have scored even more. There were plenty of similar matches in the domestic championship as well.
– Tell us about the plans for the winter break.
– The team will be resting until January 10, and during this time each player will have an individual programme of tasks from the fitness coach to ensure they are in proper shape for the intense work during the training camp. Previously, we used to head straight to a training camp in Türkiye after the break, but this time we will start preparations in Shchaslyve, focusing on physical aspects. After that, we will travel to Türkiye on January 23. We plan to play six friendly matches initially and I hope we can arrange even more if possible. At the end of February, we will return to Ukraine and continue preparing for the championship.
– What would you like to wish the team and the fans for the New Year?
– I wish the team return mentally and physically refreshed as there is tough work ahead at the training camp. The preparation period during the camp is always challenging, especially for young players, so I want everyone to come back in good spirits and with positive energy. The most important thing is to avoid injuries because I know that players take part in various active games during the break, and I can’t restrict them in this, but they need to be responsible. I hope the team return complete and continue what we started in the first part of the season – progressing and achieving the set goals. As for the fans, I wish them above all good health, peace and that they enjoy only positive emotions from our play. We will put in a lot of effort to make this happen and I can assure them that the team will give them nothing to be ashamed of. I would also like to thank the supporters who back us at every match and are always in the stands regardless of where we play, even if there aren’t many of them. May their enthusiasm never wane because it is precisely their support that provides extra motivation and inspiration for Shakhtar U19 to progress and achieve its goals.