After the exit from the Cup, the expert explained why Turan should not be hated

A famous Ukrainian coach Oleg Fedorchuk in a conversation with a correspondent Sport.ua shared his impressions of the course of events in the current draw of the second-ranked domestic tournament:

– The vast majority of teams deservedly won the right to stay at the cup distance for so long. In particular, what doubts can there be about the rise of the second-league Lokomotiv Kyiv, which knocked out the elite Veres and Kolos in turn, and in the fight for a ticket to the quarter-finals against Vinnytsia Niva, being in the minority, scored the winning goal in stoppage time. Although there were clubs that were lucky with the draw, such as “Phoenix-Mariupol”, which was not remembered for meaningful actions.

– By the way, when it came to the draw, which was “blind” this time, how would you rate the new format of the cup draw, where a large number of amateur teams could start?

– In my opinion, this format has become a powerful lever, first of all, for the support of sponsors of those amateur clubs that sought to shorten the path to recognition thanks to the cup tournament. Take as an example the same “Agrotech”, which was able to clarify relations with representatives of the UPL, the First League, becoming a “thunderstorm of authorities”. That is why such a format has the right to exist.

– Can we expect surprises at the stage of the quarterfinals?

– Much will depend on the draw. The aforementioned “Lokomotiv” can still spoil the mood of one of the senior teams, and the leader of the First League – “Bukovyna” before trying to give battle to representatives of the elite division.

– By the way, how can you explain that there were two different halves in the central match of the round of 16 between Dynamo and Shakhtar?

– In my opinion, the manager of “miners” Arda Turan did not deserve the barrage of criticism directed at him after the defeat. He is a new person in Shakhtar, and it was not his fault that a whole group of leading football players left the team. There was no equivalent replacement for the same leaders – Sudakov, Kevin. And when, after a missed goal at the beginning of the second half, the Dynamo team ran with great strength to play back, there were no players in the ranks of the “miners” who could stop this onslaught. In addition, Shakhtar’s defenders Matvienko, Konoplya, Bondar showed a weak level of preparation, and goalkeeper Riznyk did not help either. It should be clarified that all these are players of the national team of Ukraine.

In my opinion, despite the unsuccessful first half, the Dynamo team, having shown character, tactical flexibility, persistence in achieving the desired result, deservedly made it to the next round. Their helmsman Oleksandr Shovkovskyi guessed and with replacements.

– In your opinion, Oleksandr Shovkovsky’s wards are the main contenders for winning the honorary prize?

– Yes, I see one finalist – Dynamo. He can be accompanied by one of the representatives of the elite: LNZ, or “Metalist 1925”. Although not everything is so clear. After all, the quarter-final matches are scheduled for the spring of 2026, and a lot will depend on how the teams will spend the preparatory period, whether they will keep the leaders, how they will work on the transfer market. After all, one should not forget the old truth: the cup tournament has its own laws.

Earlier, Yuriy Vernydub commented on the result of the match of the 1/8 finals of the Cup of Ukraine.