We did what we had planned
Friday, November 7, 2025
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Shakhtar U19 head coach Oleksii Bielik reflects on the victory over Poltava U19, the substitution limit in the U19 National League and plans for the upcoming break
– We expected the opponents to play with three centre-backs and to use a physical style of football, and that’s exactly what happened. We did what we had planned: we tried to move the ball as quickly as possible to make the opponents shift and tire, which made it easier to open them up. Of course, not everything worked in the final third, as we should have scored more, but overall the objectives for the game were achieved. We also gave some players a chance to rest, while others made their debuts and played from the first minute. For example, Chornenkyi made his U19 National League debut, and Harmash received his first minutes on the pitch after a long recovery. The only thing I would have liked is to score more goals. Overall, I’m satisfied with all the players and want to highlight Verhun, who scored his first goal in the game against Poltava U19.
I also believe the issue of the substitution limit in the championship needs to be addressed and increased. In my opinion, seven substitutions in the U19 National League would be the optimal solution, as young players need more playing time. There are players who prove through their work that they deserve to be on the field. Of course, I understand that there are contracts, tournament objectives and everyone is a professional in senior football, but in youth football, young players need more minutes on the pitch.
– Oleksandr Chornenkyi received his first minutes with Shakhtar U19. How would you describe this player?
– Oleksandr is a player who has been in the Shakhtar system for quite some time and possesses many strong qualities, including football intelligence and good technique. Of course, the U19 league is different from U17 – here, players need to make decisions faster and be stronger physically in order to compete effectively in challenges. He only joined us in the summer, so it’s completely normal that there are some questions about him. However, this applies not only to him but to the entire team, since we aim to play with the ball and control the game, and in such situations, it’s sometimes necessary to use physical strength actively in duels.
– Denis Petruk stood out for his activity in the match against Poltava U19, scoring in a second consecutive game. What can you say about his qualities?
– If only I had that speed at his age… Denis is a good player who knows his strengths and weaknesses. At the moment, he makes good use of his strengths while working on his weaker areas. He scored with his left foot in the matches against Dynamo U19 and Poltava U19, but I’d like him to use that foot not only for finishing, but also when cutting in from the wing to deliver passes to the striker or an inside forward.
– The international break is ahead. What are the immediate plans?
– The team will have three days of rest, after which they will gather in Shchaslyve and begin preparation for the final cycle of matches this year. We will train twice a day and will play a friendly against Zorya U19 on November 15.
I also believe the issue of the substitution limit in the championship needs to be addressed and increased. In my opinion, seven substitutions in the U19 National League would be the optimal solution, as young players need more playing time. There are players who prove through their work that they deserve to be on the field. Of course, I understand that there are contracts, tournament objectives and everyone is a professional in senior football, but in youth football, young players need more minutes on the pitch.
– Oleksandr Chornenkyi received his first minutes with Shakhtar U19. How would you describe this player?
– Oleksandr is a player who has been in the Shakhtar system for quite some time and possesses many strong qualities, including football intelligence and good technique. Of course, the U19 league is different from U17 – here, players need to make decisions faster and be stronger physically in order to compete effectively in challenges. He only joined us in the summer, so it’s completely normal that there are some questions about him. However, this applies not only to him but to the entire team, since we aim to play with the ball and control the game, and in such situations, it’s sometimes necessary to use physical strength actively in duels.
– Denis Petruk stood out for his activity in the match against Poltava U19, scoring in a second consecutive game. What can you say about his qualities?
– If only I had that speed at his age… Denis is a good player who knows his strengths and weaknesses. At the moment, he makes good use of his strengths while working on his weaker areas. He scored with his left foot in the matches against Dynamo U19 and Poltava U19, but I’d like him to use that foot not only for finishing, but also when cutting in from the wing to deliver passes to the striker or an inside forward.
– The international break is ahead. What are the immediate plans?
– The team will have three days of rest, after which they will gather in Shchaslyve and begin preparation for the final cycle of matches this year. We will train twice a day and will play a friendly against Zorya U19 on November 15.