Anatoliy Demyanenko: "This year the national team of veterans of Ukraine played a lot of matches with the military"

22.11.2018 18:07

The year 2018 became extremely interesting and full for the national team of Ukraine among veterans. The team, made up of prominent domestic players, performed weekly at stadiums in Ukraine and around the world, promoting football and healthy living, and emphasizing that Ukraine is currently at war and it is important to support the military defending the country's borders in the East.

The results of the performances of football legends were summed up by the head coach of the national team, Honored Master of Sports Anatoliy Demyanenko:

- With each new year the program becomes more interesting and the geography of performances of the national team of veterans is wider. The team is already well known, we always have a lot of invitations from different cities, everyone wants to give the fans a holiday of communication with the players, and local players - to give the opportunity to test their skills. And now before our eyes are the matches in Balta, Volochysk, Ovruch: in the stands - three to five thousand spectators, intrigue on the field, incredibly friendly atmosphere ... This is the best evidence of what an important role veterans play in national football.

- If you look chronologically, 2018 began with performances far from home stadiums…

- Very far (laughs). We first performed at a prestigious veteran tournament in Georgia in memory of David Petriashvili (besides us and the hosts, there were national teams of Italy, Spain, Turkey and other countries), and then went to the other side of the world, to Brazil and Argentina. Our players saw a lot in their lives, but they were also delighted with this tour. Held games with veterans of the famous "Santos", "Boca Juniors", the national team of Paraná. In addition, they had many meetings with the diaspora, state governors, saw with their own eyes how the football economy is built in the countries, how young talents are brought up. Most of the players of the national team are practicing coaches, for them this experience is very useful.

- You said that there are about a hundred players in your extended list. Has anyone recently added to this list?

- Of course! This is a natural process. Players are finishing their careers, looking for themselves in a new life. This is a difficult transition period. This year we were joined by Serhiy Shishchenko, Vitaliy Mandzyuk, Yevhen Lutsenko, Yuriy Wirt, Serhiy Fedorov and other famous players. Young people complement the experience - the oldest player is Myron Markevich, whom we are always happy to see at matches.

- What do you remember about the performances in Ukraine?

- This year we played a lot of matches with the military. In Kropyvnytskyi - with special forces, in Kramatorsk - with paratroopers, in Kyiv region - with police, in Ivano-Frankivsk - with ATO veterans, etc. In total - more than a dozen games in different parts of Ukraine. This is a lot, because each of them was preceded by a very serious preparation: together with the hosts they made posters and announcements, put on an entertainment program to turn football into a real holiday. We want the match with the participation of the national team to be remembered by the participants and spectators for years. As, for example, our visit in August to the most advanced, to Marinka. We visited the positions of the fighters, saw the conditions in which they serve, and then held a match in neighboring Krasnohorivka. Locals say that so many people have not gathered in one place since the beginning of hostilities. Only for this reason it was worth going to the East.

- Do you feel that the veterans' team has already become a full-fledged unit on the football map of Ukraine?

- We are known, we are invited to games - what else does the team need for complete happiness? For the third year in a row, the FFU Vice President Oleh Sobutsky has been taking care of the team, investing a lot of strength, energy and money in it. He always has a lot of ideas, he does everything at the highest level. For veterans, such support is invaluable, for which we truly thank him.