Marked for Daniil Vashchenko
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Squad29 Jan 2029
Hussayn Touati: that is not what I was promised
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Oleksandriya have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Market29 Jan 2029
Oleh Bilyk hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Oleksandriya can pretend not to have heard.
Player ratings29 Jan 2029
Successful dribbles: 24. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Squad29 Jan 2029
Kristian Mba is in the form of his life
A season average of 7.26 with 16 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.
Match27 Jan 2029
Hard to beat is not the same as winning, but 7 matches without defeat is a foundation Oleksandriya did not have in the autumn.
Squad29 Jan 2029
Anton Bol was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Match27 Jan 2029
A 3‑2 win over Chornomorets, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Player ratings22 Jan 2029
Successful dribbles: 35. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Squad22 Jan 2029
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Oleksandriya may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Market22 Jan 2029
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Oleksandriya they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Match20 Jan 2029
Whatever happens, Oleksandriya do not lose
6 games unbeaten now. Some were earned and some were survived, but a habit is forming — and habits are the hardest thing in football to play against.
Squad22 Jan 2029
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Oleksandriya this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad22 Jan 2029
Gian Piaggio gets it from the manager
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Match20 Jan 2029
Ask anyone on the way out what separated the sides and you will get one name: Andrii Khoma. 1‑0 against Rukh, and the applause at the whistle was mostly his.
Squad22 Jan 2029
7 goals and a season average of 7.38. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
Player ratings22 Jan 2029
Defensive actions: 18, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Match13 Jan 2029
A 1‑1 win over Obolon, and the draw for the next round can be watched with some interest for once.
Match10 Jan 2029
A 3‑1 win over Obolon, and the draw for the next round can be watched with some interest for once.
Player ratings15 Jan 2029
Successful dribbles: 26. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Market15 Jan 2029
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Daniil Vashchenko will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Oleksandriya the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Squad15 Jan 2029
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Oleksandriya this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad15 Jan 2029
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Miguel Campos, and the manager let it.
Player ratings15 Jan 2029
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.68, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Player ratings15 Jan 2029
Marked 8.65 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Player ratings15 Jan 2029
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.56, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad18 Dec 2028
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 19 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Market18 Dec 2028
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Oleksandriya they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad18 Dec 2028
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Match16 Dec 2028
No end in sight to Oleksandriya's wait for a win
4 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Oleksandriya has to find a result from somewhere.
Squad18 Dec 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Oleksandriya this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Match16 Dec 2028
0‑1 to Dynamo Kyiv, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Player ratings18 Dec 2028
Successful dribbles: 18. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Squad18 Dec 2028
The manager makes an example of Danil Skorko
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Market18 Dec 2028
The Anton Bol talk will not go away
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Oleksandriya know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Player ratings20 Nov 2028
Defensive actions: 33. He was first to everything and second to nothing, and the goalkeeper had an easy day because of it.
Player ratings20 Nov 2028
Successful dribbles: 32. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Squad20 Nov 2028
Yehor Hunichev: that is not what I was promised
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Oleksandriya have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Market20 Nov 2028
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Oleksandriya is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad20 Nov 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Oleksandriya this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Player ratings20 Nov 2028
Marked 9.04 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Match18 Nov 2028
Three points for Oleksandriya, 1‑0 the final word against Inhulets in a contest settled by the finer margins.
Player ratings20 Nov 2028
Headers, blocks, tackles, interceptions — 19 of them, and not one goal behind him. The sort of performance that never makes a highlight reel and wins football matches.
Squad20 Nov 2028
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Alejandro Altuna, and the manager let it.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Match1 Nov 2028
A 1‑0 win over Livyi Bereh, a place in the next round, and the quiet arithmetic every supporter does on the walk home: how many more until a final?
Player ratings6 Nov 2028
Successful dribbles: 34. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Player ratings6 Nov 2028
Defensive actions: 31, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.
Player ratings6 Nov 2028
Defensive actions: 27. He was first to everything and second to nothing, and the goalkeeper had an easy day because of it.
Squad6 Nov 2028
Kirill Pechenin was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Player ratings6 Nov 2028
Headers, blocks, tackles, interceptions — 23 of them, and not one goal behind him. The sort of performance that never makes a highlight reel and wins football matches.
Loan watch6 Nov 2028
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at Oleksandriya, and 0 appearances in 9 say he has earned the hearing.
Squad6 Nov 2028
Defences have started doubling up on Arinaldo Rrapaj
5 goals and a season average of 7.25 will do that. The space he used to find has gone; he keeps scoring anyway, which is the mark of the real thing.
Squad6 Nov 2028
The manager makes an example of Bohdan Butko
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match21 Oct 2028
Beaten 1‑4 by Shakhtar, and beaten everywhere it matters. The inquest starts on the training pitch on Monday morning.
Squad23 Oct 2028
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Market23 Oct 2028
Fee agreed, terms agreed, medical booked. Daniil Vashchenko will be somebody else’s player by the weekend, and around Oleksandriya the goodbyes have quietly begun.
Player ratings23 Oct 2028
One of those days for Oleh Fedor
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.90, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Squad23 Oct 2028
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Player ratings23 Oct 2028
Successful dribbles: 18. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Squad23 Oct 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Oleksandriya this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Boardroom23 Oct 2028
The manager kept them in and said what needed saying. A response is expected on Saturday, and if it does not come the questions move upstairs.
Squad23 Oct 2028
Oleh Fedor is in the form of his life
A season average of 7.24 with 5 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match14 Oct 2028
Whatever happens, Oleksandriya do not lose
8 games unbeaten now. Some were earned and some were survived, but a habit is forming — and habits are the hardest thing in football to play against.
Squad16 Oct 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Oleksandriya this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Player ratings16 Oct 2028
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 9.10, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Player ratings16 Oct 2028
Successful dribbles: 19. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Squad16 Oct 2028
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Loan watch16 Oct 2028
“I did not go to Kolos to sit and watch. I want to come back to Oleksandriya and fight for my place.” 0 appearances in 10 matches say the rest.
Match14 Oct 2028
It finished 1‑1, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.
Player ratings16 Oct 2028
The one thing Kristian Mba could not do
Shots: 8, enough of them from close enough that a striker in form scores two. He is not a striker in form.
Market16 Oct 2028
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Oleksandriya know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad25 Sep 2028
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 10 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Player ratings25 Sep 2028
Successful dribbles: 30. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Market25 Sep 2028
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Oleksandriya is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad25 Sep 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Oleksandriya this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Player ratings25 Sep 2028
Marked 9.05 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Player ratings25 Sep 2028
A performance of 8.78 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Squad25 Sep 2028
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Match23 Sep 2028
It needed Oleh Fedor to find the net to bring anything home at all: 2‑2 against Metalist, and half the dressing room will call it a point won.
Squad25 Sep 2028
The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match26 Aug 2028
Chastening afternoon for Oleksandriya
A 1‑5 beating by Zorya was the sort of result that empties a stadium long before the final whistle.
Player ratings28 Aug 2028
Successful dribbles: 28. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Match26 Aug 2028
No end in sight to Oleksandriya's wait for a win
6 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Oleksandriya has to find a result from somewhere.
Market28 Aug 2028
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Market28 Aug 2028
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Oleksandriya is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad28 Aug 2028
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Player ratings28 Aug 2028
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.41, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Squad28 Aug 2028
Daniil Vashchenko was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Boardroom28 Aug 2028
The music was off and the showers ran late. What was said in that dressing room stays there, but Saturday will publish the minutes.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Market14 Aug 2028
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Oleksandriya, and it is not being withdrawn.
Market14 Aug 2028
The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.
Match12 Aug 2028
No end in sight to Oleksandriya's wait for a win
4 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Oleksandriya has to find a result from somewhere.
Squad14 Aug 2028
Mauro Rodrigues was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Match12 Aug 2028
Kolos left with the points after a 1‑2 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
Squad14 Aug 2028
The manager makes an example of Arinaldo Rrapaj
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Player ratings14 Aug 2028
A performance of 8.79 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Player ratings14 Aug 2028
Marked 8.46 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Player ratings14 Aug 2028
Successful dribbles: 15. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad7 Aug 2028
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Oleksandriya may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad7 Aug 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Oleksandriya this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Market7 Aug 2028
He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.
Player ratings7 Aug 2028
Marked 8.96 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Player ratings7 Aug 2028
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.93, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Player ratings7 Aug 2028
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 8.37, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Squad7 Aug 2028
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Viktor Dolhyi commits to Oleksandriya for another 4 years.
Match5 Aug 2028
A 4‑4 draw with Inhulets leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market17 Jul 2028
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Oleksandriya, and it is not being withdrawn.
Market17 Jul 2028
The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.
Squad17 Jul 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Oleksandriya this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad17 Jul 2028
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad17 Jul 2028
Serhiy Buletsa knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Oleksandriya, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Market17 Jul 2028
The Kristian Mba story refuses to die
It has been denied twice and printed three times, which is the usual arithmetic. Until Kristian Mba signs something — a contract at Oleksandriya or anywhere else — this column belongs to him.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market10 Jul 2028
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Market10 Jul 2028
Chernihiv come back empty-handed
The bid was some way short and Oleksandriya did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.
Squad10 Jul 2028
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Market10 Jul 2028
The interest is real enough to have reached print. Oleksandriya have said nothing, which in a transfer window is its own kind of answer.
Squad10 Jul 2028
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Papa Ndiaga Yade commits to Oleksandriya for another 4 years.
Squad10 Jul 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Oleksandriya this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad3 Jul 2028
Mauro Rodrigues was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Market3 Jul 2028
Add another name to the list: Chernihiv have asked the question everybody in the game has been asking about Daniil Vashchenko. The answer from Oleksandriya has not changed — yet.
Market3 Jul 2028
He is 20, and the scouting reports agree on the only line that matters: the ceiling. Signings like this are lottery tickets written by professionals.
Squad3 Jul 2028
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Kyrylo Pikhalyonok and Oleksandriya agree another 3 years.
Squad3 Jul 2028
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market19 Jun 2028
The offer from Probiy for Daniil Vashchenko was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.
Market19 Jun 2028
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Oleksandriya can pretend not to have heard.
Squad19 Jun 2028
Mauro Rodrigues was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Squad19 Jun 2028
“The easiest signature of my career.” Danil Skorko and Oleksandriya agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Market19 Jun 2028
“The manager did not use many words, and he did not need to.” Arinaldo Rrapaj has his answer from Oleksandriya; what he does with it is the next window’s story.
Market19 Jun 2028
The phone has started ringing about Jhonnatan again, and this time the name on the line is Prykarpattia. Oleksandriya are listening politely and promising nothing.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad15 May 2028
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Oleksandriya may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Market15 May 2028
Oleh Bilyk hands in a written request
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Oleksandriya can pretend not to have heard.
Market15 May 2028
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Oleksandriya is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad7 Feb 2028
There were 7 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Match5 Feb 2028
No end in sight to Oleksandriya's wait for a win
5 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Oleksandriya has to find a result from somewhere.
Squad7 Feb 2028
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Oleksandriya this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Match5 Feb 2028
Beaten 1‑3, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Squad7 Feb 2028
The manager makes an example of Kirill Pechenin
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Player ratings7 Feb 2028
Marked 8.06 — the sort of number a correspondent writes down twice to be sure. Everything he tried came off, and what he did not try was not worth trying.
Player ratings7 Feb 2028
Successful dribbles: 16. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Market7 Feb 2028
Both sides expect a conversation in the coming days. Oleksandriya will name a price, and everything after that is arithmetic.
Loan watch7 Feb 2028
“I watch every Oleksandriya game from here. That says everything about where my head is.” The loan at LNZ runs its course, but his heart never made the trip.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market31 Jan 2028
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad31 Jan 2028
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Player ratings31 Jan 2028
Successful dribbles: 26. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Market31 Jan 2028
The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.
Match29 Jan 2028
4 without a win now, and the ground has developed the special quiet of a crowd that expects the worst. One scrappy 1-0 would cure most of it; that is the maddening part.
Squad31 Jan 2028
Mauro Rodrigues was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Player ratings31 Jan 2028
Defensive actions: 22. He was first to everything and second to nothing, and the goalkeeper had an easy day because of it.
Market31 Jan 2028
The interest is real enough to have reached print. Oleksandriya have said nothing, which in a transfer window is its own kind of answer.
Squad31 Jan 2028
The manager makes an example of Serhiy Buletsa
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match5 Jan 2028
A 1‑0 win over Livyi Bereh, a place in the next round, and the quiet arithmetic every supporter does on the walk home: how many more until a final?
Player ratings10 Jan 2028
Headers, blocks, tackles, interceptions — 32 of them, and not one goal behind him. The sort of performance that never makes a highlight reel and wins football matches.
Player ratings10 Jan 2028
Successful dribbles: 26. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Squad10 Jan 2028
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Oleksandriya may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Player ratings10 Jan 2028
Headers, blocks, tackles, interceptions — 23 of them, and not one goal behind him. The sort of performance that never makes a highlight reel and wins football matches.
Squad10 Jan 2028
Alexandru Roşca was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Player ratings10 Jan 2028
Defensive actions: 22, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.
Loan watch10 Jan 2028
“I watch every Oleksandriya game from here. That says everything about where my head is.” The loan at LNZ runs its course, but his heart never made the trip.
Squad10 Jan 2028
The manager makes an example of Anton Bol
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match20 Nov 2027
Hard to beat is not the same as winning, but 13 matches without defeat is a foundation Oleksandriya did not have in the autumn.
Player ratings22 Nov 2027
Successful dribbles: 20. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Squad22 Nov 2027
Anton Bol was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Player ratings22 Nov 2027
A performance of 9.01 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Squad22 Nov 2027
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Valentyn Morhun, and the manager let it.
Match20 Nov 2027
It needed Arinaldo Rrapaj to find the net to bring anything home at all: 1‑1 against Rukh, and half the dressing room will call it a point won.
Squad22 Nov 2027
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Oleksandriya have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
Player ratings22 Nov 2027
The one thing Kristian Mba could not do
Shots: 6, enough of them from close enough that a striker in form scores two. He is not a striker in form.
Squad22 Nov 2027
Bohdan Butko knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Oleksandriya, and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad30 Aug 2027
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 10 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Match25 Aug 2027
A 1‑0 win over Ahrobiznes, and the draw for the next round can be watched with some interest for once.
Player ratings30 Aug 2027
Successful dribbles: 32. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Player ratings30 Aug 2027
Defensive actions: 30, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.
Market30 Aug 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Player ratings30 Aug 2027
Defensive actions: 27, and a clean sheet at the end of it. A centre-half's best afternoons look like nothing happening, which is precisely the point.
Squad30 Aug 2027
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Oleksandriya this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Player ratings30 Aug 2027
There is a version of this player everybody suspected was in there, and on this evidence it is. 9.17, and no argument anywhere in the ground.
Match28 Aug 2027
0‑1 to Shakhtar, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market26 Jul 2027
The chase for Illia Olkhovyi ended with $170.0K changing hands and Nyva out of reasons to say no. The supporters will judge the fee the only way that matters: on Saturdays.
Squad26 Jul 2027
Mauro Rodrigues was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Market26 Jul 2027
The interest is real enough to have reached print. Oleksandriya have said nothing, which in a transfer window is its own kind of answer.
Squad26 Jul 2027
“The easiest signature of my career.” Daniil Vashchenko and Oleksandriya agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Market26 Jul 2027
It has been denied twice and printed three times, which is the usual arithmetic. Until Valentyn Morhun signs something — a contract at Oleksandriya or anywhere else — this column belongs to him.
Market26 Jul 2027
“They were honest with me, and I would rather know.” Viktor Yaremchuk has been informed he is not in the manager's thinking at Oleksandriya.