Marked for Kyrylo Barantsov
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad21 Dec 2026
Eduardo Ramírez: 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.” UCSA have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Player ratings21 Dec 2026
Successful dribbles: 23. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Squad21 Dec 2026
Pablo Castro in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at UCSA this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad21 Dec 2026
50 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.
Squad21 Dec 2026
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Kyrylo Barantsov, and the manager let it.
Match19 Dec 2026
Podillia left with the points after a 0‑1 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Player ratings7 Dec 2026
Successful dribbles: 29. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Match5 Dec 2026
No end in sight to UCSA's wait for a win
6 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at UCSA has to find a result from somewhere.
Squad7 Dec 2026
Pablo Castro in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at UCSA this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Match5 Dec 2026
A bad afternoon for UCSA against Ahrobiznes
0‑2 to Ahrobiznes, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Squad7 Dec 2026
The manager makes an example of Halil Bağcı
“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.
Squad7 Dec 2026
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Patryk Starobrat and UCSA agree another 3 years.
Market7 Dec 2026
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Squad7 Dec 2026
An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Kyrylo Barantsov knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
Boardroom7 Dec 2026
The numbers do not look good at UCSA
Wages have outrun income and the accountants have started attending meetings they used to send apologies to. Ambition comes second in a season like this.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Market23 Nov 2026
“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.
Squad23 Nov 2026
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.
Squad23 Nov 2026
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” UCSA may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Player ratings23 Nov 2026
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.
Match21 Nov 2026
The wait goes on for UCSA
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.
Squad23 Nov 2026
Pablo Castro in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at UCSA this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Market16 Nov 2026
“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.
Squad16 Nov 2026
Gabriel Goulart: 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.” UCSA have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Player ratings16 Nov 2026
Successful dribbles: 29. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Player ratings12 Oct 2026
Successful dribbles: 27. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Squad12 Oct 2026
“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.
Squad12 Oct 2026
Pablo Castro in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at UCSA this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Squad12 Oct 2026
“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 ratings12 Oct 2026
A performance of 8.06 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Match10 Oct 2026
UCSA share the spoils with Nyva
A 1‑1 draw with Nyva leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match26 Aug 2026
UCSA bow out of the cup
Shakhtar go through and UCSA go home, 0‑2 the scoreline that did it. The dressing room will call the league the priority now, because that is what dressing rooms say.
Market31 Aug 2026
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what UCSA can pretend not to have heard.
Squad31 Aug 2026
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Bartłomiej Kolec and UCSA agree another 4 years.
Squad31 Aug 2026
Pablo Castro in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at UCSA this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Player ratings31 Aug 2026
Successful dribbles: 21. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Player ratings31 Aug 2026
A performance of 8.73 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Squad31 Aug 2026
“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.
Market31 Aug 2026
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Match29 Aug 2026
A 1‑1 draw with Inhulets leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Player ratings24 Aug 2026
Successful dribbles: 32. Every time he got the ball somebody had to make a decision, and every time the decision was wrong.
Market24 Aug 2026
“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.
Squad24 Aug 2026
“The easiest signature of my career.” Bartłomiej Kolec and UCSA agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad24 Aug 2026
Tempers go at UCSA
Pablo Castro 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 ratings24 Aug 2026
A performance of 8.97 does not come along often, and when it does the rest of the team becomes scenery. He was magnificent.
Player ratings24 Aug 2026
Defensive actions: 20. He was first to everything and second to nothing, and the goalkeeper had an easy day because of it.
Match22 Aug 2026
Ask anyone on the way out what separated the sides and you will get one name: Oleksandr Osman. 1‑0 against Ahrobiznes, and the applause at the whistle was mostly his.
Player ratings24 Aug 2026
A masterclass from Wendell
Marked 8.00 — 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.
Squad24 Aug 2026
The manager makes an example of Pedro Acácio
“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
Squad10 Aug 2026
Pablo Castro in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at UCSA this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Player ratings10 Aug 2026
Successful dribbles: 21. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Squad10 Aug 2026
“The easiest signature of my career.” Kiril Korkh and UCSA agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad10 Aug 2026
“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 Aug 2026
“We keep meeting, and we keep leaving the room with the same numbers we walked in with.” Another round of talks at UCSA, another week without a signature from Serhii Petko.
Market10 Aug 2026
The clock runs on Pablo Castro's contract
48 months left and silence from upstairs — no offer, no talks, nothing for his people to answer. Clubs that let a calendar do their negotiating usually end up negotiating with the calendar.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad3 Aug 2026
“The easiest signature of my career.” Pablo Castro and UCSA agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad3 Aug 2026
Tempers go at UCSA
Pablo Castro 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 ratings3 Aug 2026
Successful dribbles: 20. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Squad3 Aug 2026
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Vavá Guerreiro, and the manager let it.
Match1 Aug 2026
Beaten 0‑1, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Market3 Aug 2026
“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.
Market3 Aug 2026
49 months left and silence from upstairs — no offer, no talks, nothing for his people to answer. Clubs that let a calendar do their negotiating usually end up negotiating with the calendar.
Market3 Aug 2026
Andrii Kireiev is free to find somewhere else
“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at UCSA has been clear about where Andrii Kireiev stands, which is more than many ever get.
Squad3 Aug 2026
Every debut is a small story about the future: Mykyta Nemetskov, 19 years old, off the academy pitches and into the first team. The parents in the stand will keep the programme.