Roman Petrenko - about the qualitative strengthening of the debutant of the Premier League.
On the second try. This is how the Desna's thorny path turned into an elite division. Until Chernigov has never been represented in the big leagues, although the city and the region have a reputation for themselves quite a football. Only with a jerk to the very top did not develop. Where often I had to go down even in the second division, and even at matches of the lowest professional level the rostrum of the old stadium named after Yuri Gagarin was not empty.
The long-awaited jump occurred in the last two seasons. Almost everything came together. A competent and truly loving football leadership, support of city authorities and a great mentor. Alexander Ryabokon has long established himself with the best of luck and after a long break thirsted to return to the league of the strongest. Once he did a very good job there with Borispol Borispol, so why not try to reach new peaks with Desna? !!.
Still on the eve of last season, the northerners were among the top favorites of the first league. At the same time, the idea that the club could not get a coveted certificate again, as it was a year earlier, when contrary to common sense in the Premier League was adopted Rovno Veres. True, some doubts about the success of Chernihivites still existed and for purely football reasons. By the end of autumn, Desna was quite behind the leading group, and her chances to win the race were much lower than Arsenal, Poltava, Kolos and Ingulza.
In the spring, the Ryabokon team recovered. A series of bright victories seated Chernigov in the last car leaving the "junction" of the train, and to the cherished dream there was only one step left. And in the format of a two-match duel with Zirka the favorite was then still the club of the Premier League. Reality proved otherwise. The exit parity (1: 1) and home extravaganza (4: 0) turned the Chernigov fairy tale into reality, and this time with the coveted certificate everything was in a jade!.
In most cases, newcomers to the elite division a priori seen as potential fighters for survival. However, in the end it turns out in different ways. Even last year's replenishment in the form of Mariupol and Veresa was unlikely to be able to get into the top six, but both clubs achieved this goal in the end. The current aliens from the first league so far appear "dark horses". Arsenal with an ambiguous mentor Fabrizio Ravanelli can hardly be ranked among competitors of high places, and the actual successor of Veres FC Lviv at the moment only forms its own composition.
Another thing - Desna. The team has already been assembled and played, and now it wants to conquer new peaks. At the hands of Ryabokon successfully the brothers Artem and Denis Favorovy, ageless wagon Vadim Melnik and spent a great season forward Alexander Filippov. But how not to mention the goals of Alexander Volkov, the industrious midfielder Andrei Mostovoy, the persistent striker Denis Bezborodko and the young central defender Alexander Golovko the younger (yes, the son of the legendary Dynamo)! You can be calm and for the last boundary of the Chernigovites. For him, experienced Igor Litovka and Konstantin Makhnovsky, as well as young Sergei Melashenko (almost two meters tall!), The son of ex-goalkeeper Desna Yury Melashenko. So with the football dynasties in Chernigov, the full order. At the same time, Yegor Kartushov, who has long been considered a promising winger, continues to recover from the consequences of the trauma.
Replenishment and does cause, if not delight, then clearly positive emotions. Goalkeeper Eugene Past was one of the best in the defeated Chernigov Zirka, and it's not his fault that the kropivnitsky club eventually flew out of the Premier League. The same should be said about Anton Bratkov, by the way, in the first part of the season acted as part of ... Gums. This is the return of the prodigal son. Not a stranger Chernigov club is for Sergei Starenky, almost ten years ago already trying on a T-shirt of the northerners, and until the last defended the color of Alexandria. At the same time, every time Starenko was as good as new. His productive exits from the bench became a trademark of the player and now of the former club.
Certainly under the basis came the universal defender Sergey Lyulka. Pupil of the Dynamo Academy before that was the captain and the core performer of Chernomorets. The same status, only in Alexandria, had a central defender Andrei Gitchenko. The 33-year-old, like Starenko, already has experience of performances in Chernigov, and undoubtedly should help the new club. In the attack, great hopes are placed on the experienced Ruslan Kisil, who still can not fully realize his talent at the Premier League level. Neither in Mariupol, nor in the Olympics, the 27-year-old striker could not show his best qualities, and now - a new challenge. To increase competition in the attacking line, he returned from a productive Sumy trip (helped the team to retain a place in the first league) Denis Galenkov, who will try to prove to the coaching staff his own worth.
Against the backdrop of so many acquisitions (and this seems to be not the limit), the losses are seen not so significant.
If the departure to Zarju Levan Arveladze was still decided in winter still, Ilya Kovalenko played no significant role in the tactical constructions of the Desna, and regularly and mutually advantageously departed to recruit game practice in Ingulets.
Preparation for the new season, in fact, has just begun, and for sure the Chernigov club will still receive staffing, and Ukrainian football - a team that can solve high-end tasks. Chernigov had been dreaming about it for so long!.
Author: Roman Petrenko.