The general meeting of Ukrainian Premier League (UPL) participants supported the proposal to end the 2021/22 football championship, fixing the standings as of February 24, 2022.
According to a statement on the UPL website, this decision was made due to the fact that the championship cannot be completed as a result of the extension of martial law in Ukraine due to Russian military aggression.
As of February 24, 2022, after 18 rounds, Shakhtar ranked first with 47 points, Dynamo – second with 45 points, Dnipro-1 – third with 40 points, Zorya – fourth with 36 points, Vorskla is fifth with 33 points.
There will be no awards for winners. The corresponding decision was submitted for approval by the Executive Committee of the Ukrainian Football Association.
Also, the general meeting of the UPL participants created a working group that will work on the issues of the current activities of the league and the start of the next season.
Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi will become the head coach of Football Club Shakhtar for the next two seasons, the club’s official website reported on Tuesday.
“On May 25, the Italian specialist arrived in Kyiv and met with the Shakhtar president Rinat Akhmetov. During his two-day visit, Roberto De Zerbi will get acquainted with the infrastructure in the capital of Ukraine – the Miners’ training complex in Sviatoshyno and the NSC Olimpiysky where the team play their home matches,” the message reads.
The Italian became the 34th head coach in the history of Shakhtar.
Roberto De Zerbi was born in Brescia on June 6, 1979
He started his player career in the Milan youth team. He also played for Monza (1998), Padova (1998-2000), Avellino (2000-2001; 2008-2009), Lecco (2001-2002), Foggia (2002-2004), Arezzo (2004-2005), Catania (2005-2006), Napoli (2006-2008; 2009-2010), Brescia (2008), Romanian CFR Cluj (2010-2012) and Trento (2013).
His worked as a coach in such football clubs as Darfo Boario (2013-2014), Foggia (2014–2016), Palermo (2016), Benevento (2017-2018), and Sassuolo (2018-2021).
Two players of the first team of football club Dynamo (Kyiv) Nazariy Rusiyn and Roman Vantukh have been diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, the press service of the football club said.
“Forward of the first team Nazariy Rusyn was diagnosed with symptoms of COVID-19, after which he was promptly tested, which showed a positive result. The same was the result of the test of his roommate at the training base Roman Vantukh,” the club said on its official website on Sunday night, August 9.
The press service of the club said that after the detection of COVID-19 disease in the two players, all Dynamo players were urgently made PCR tests for COVID-19. All other results were negative.
Nazariy Rusyn and Roman Vantukh are isolated from the team and will undergo a two-week lockdown.
Dynamo Kyiv Football Club has expressed its sincere gratitude to head coach Oleksiy Mykhailychenko and his assistants Vadym Yevtushenko, Serhiy Fedorov and Mykhailo Mykhailov. Dynamo will begin preparations for the next season with a new coaching staff.
“Having received the team during the season, this coaching staff made every effort to fulfill the tasks set for the season. As a result, Dynamo won the Ukrainian Cup and took second place in the championship, which gives the right to compete for participation in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. At the same time, the club’s management and the large army of Dynamo fans cannot satisfy with the current level of the team’s play, the lack of progress sufficient to fight for the title of champion of Ukraine and a worthy performance in European club tournaments. For this, Dynamo’s game must reach a new level of quality,” said a message on the club’s official website on Monday, July 20.
A new team leadership for the new season will be announced later.
In the championship of Ukraine, which ended over the weekend, Dynamo took second place and was on the verge of missing the Champions League qualification. The capital club lagged behind Shakhtar Donetsk, which became the champion for the fourth time, with 23 points.
The total revenue of the Shakhtar Donetsk football club in the 2017-2018 season, including VAT, amounted to UAH 1.732 billion, the club said in its traditional annual report. The club’s total income in the previous season was UAH 877 million. In particular, income from the sale and rental of football players in the 2017-2018 season amounted to UAH 108 million, which is almost twice more than in the previous season.
However, the report does not reflect Brazilian Fred’s transfer to Manchester United in the summer off-season, which was a record amount in the club’s history. According to British media, 52 million pounds was paid for the player.
Club revenues from UEFA and FIFA amounted to UAH 888 million. This is UAH 600 million more than in the 2016-2017 season. Last season, Shakhtar successfully competed in the Champions League group stage and made it to the last 16, where it lost to Italy’s Roma.
FC Shakhtar’s revenues from commercial activities amounted to UAH 736 million.
In the 2017-2018 season, Shakhtar paid UAH 504.506 million in taxes to Ukraine’s state budget. Personal income tax amounted to UAH 358.85 million.
Dynamo Kyiv will take on Ajax Amsterdam in the last qualifying round of the Champions League. In the second leg of the third qualifying round, the Dutch club defeated Belgium’s Standard 3-0 at home. The first game in Liege a week ago ended in a 2-2 draw.
Thus, Ajax will face Dynamo in the play-offs. The teams will play the first match in Amsterdam on August 22 and the return match in Kyiv on August 28.
AJAX AMSTERDAM, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, DYNAMO KYIV, FOOTBALL CLUB
