I hope for common sense
Saturday, April 4, 2026
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Shakhtar U19 head coach Oleksii Bielik spoke about the victory over Rukh U19, the progress of Dmytro Strilchuk and expectations for the decisive part of the season
– An important win and we fully deserved it. In fact, we allowed the opponents to create almost nothing near our goal, apart from a few low crosses and a one-on-one situation when Bahlai did very well. We scored three goals and could have had more: two in the first half, and several chances in the second, including for Kanteh and Balakai.
– How did the preparation for the resumption of the championship go without several key players who were with Ukraine’s youth national teams and returned only a few days before the match?
– As a coach, after every game I want to speak only about my team because they are doing incredible things, but now I do not understand where the common sense is. Like Rukh U19, we have quite a few internationals, and after youth national team matches, the players had a long journey home by trains and buses, which is very tiring. And yet the match is scheduled for April 3. I do not understand why our game was not automatically postponed in accordance with the regulations after the fixtures of senior teams were moved to April 5. My footballers returned at night, and not even two full days had passed before they already had to play a league match. I do not understand such actions from the Association’s representatives as they are the ones who call the players up to the national teams. Secondly, I do not understand why the suspended Rukh U19 players disappeared from the suspensions section on the UPL website a day and a half before the match, while the website is updated promptly in other cases: when Bundash received his fourth yellow card or Ivasiі of Karpaty U19 a red card, the system immediately showed that the player would miss the next match. So it is unclear why, in the case of a Rukh U19 player, the system removed him only a day and a half before the game. I hope for common sense and ask that youth football is not undermined by behind-the-scenes games.
– Dmytro Strilchuk played in a somewhat unfamiliar position and scored the opening goal, and just two minutes later, he could have provided an assist. How important is he for the team and how would you assess his progress?
– Strilchuk is a very important part of our structure. He used to be deployed as a left-back, but he has very good technique and game understanding, and he is also capable of playing on the right flank and in central areas. Given some minor injury issues involving Petruk, Tryfanenko and Zubrii, who, although he did not play much for the national team, was still part of it, we adjusted our structure and Strilchuk played as a right lateral. Dmytro is a very important and high-quality performer. I believe that many of our 2007-born players deserve a call-up to Ukraine U19, which have qualified for Euro 2026.
– The decisive part of the season lies ahead, which will determine the U19 National League champions. What instructions do you give your players and what are your expectations for this period?
– Indeed, an important part of the season is coming, but it is not the first time we have reached this stage, and it is exactly when certain issues appear, which I have previously highlighted. I told the lads that nobody will help us for sure; I ask for only one thing: that no one hinders us. I emphasise that, above all, it is teams that win and lose. I am at Shakhtar U19 to take all the pressure on myself. The team and its character win, while I, together with the coaching staff, only build the training process and guide the players during matches. When we lose, it is the coach who loses, so I am here for the players to show their football, and if something does not work, that is my responsibility, not theirs.
– How did the preparation for the resumption of the championship go without several key players who were with Ukraine’s youth national teams and returned only a few days before the match?
– As a coach, after every game I want to speak only about my team because they are doing incredible things, but now I do not understand where the common sense is. Like Rukh U19, we have quite a few internationals, and after youth national team matches, the players had a long journey home by trains and buses, which is very tiring. And yet the match is scheduled for April 3. I do not understand why our game was not automatically postponed in accordance with the regulations after the fixtures of senior teams were moved to April 5. My footballers returned at night, and not even two full days had passed before they already had to play a league match. I do not understand such actions from the Association’s representatives as they are the ones who call the players up to the national teams. Secondly, I do not understand why the suspended Rukh U19 players disappeared from the suspensions section on the UPL website a day and a half before the match, while the website is updated promptly in other cases: when Bundash received his fourth yellow card or Ivasiі of Karpaty U19 a red card, the system immediately showed that the player would miss the next match. So it is unclear why, in the case of a Rukh U19 player, the system removed him only a day and a half before the game. I hope for common sense and ask that youth football is not undermined by behind-the-scenes games.
– Dmytro Strilchuk played in a somewhat unfamiliar position and scored the opening goal, and just two minutes later, he could have provided an assist. How important is he for the team and how would you assess his progress?
– Strilchuk is a very important part of our structure. He used to be deployed as a left-back, but he has very good technique and game understanding, and he is also capable of playing on the right flank and in central areas. Given some minor injury issues involving Petruk, Tryfanenko and Zubrii, who, although he did not play much for the national team, was still part of it, we adjusted our structure and Strilchuk played as a right lateral. Dmytro is a very important and high-quality performer. I believe that many of our 2007-born players deserve a call-up to Ukraine U19, which have qualified for Euro 2026.
– The decisive part of the season lies ahead, which will determine the U19 National League champions. What instructions do you give your players and what are your expectations for this period?
– Indeed, an important part of the season is coming, but it is not the first time we have reached this stage, and it is exactly when certain issues appear, which I have previously highlighted. I told the lads that nobody will help us for sure; I ask for only one thing: that no one hinders us. I emphasise that, above all, it is teams that win and lose. I am at Shakhtar U19 to take all the pressure on myself. The team and its character win, while I, together with the coaching staff, only build the training process and guide the players during matches. When we lose, it is the coach who loses, so I am here for the players to show their football, and if something does not work, that is my responsibility, not theirs.