Oleg Salenko: Kyivans Won't See the Podium After Loss to Karpaty

Oleg Salenko, a former player for Kyiv's Dynamo, who is well-known for his career at the club, does not hide his disappointment regarding the team's chances of securing the championship this season. After the defeat to Lviv's Karpaty with a score of 0-1 in the 22nd round of the Ukrainian Championship, Salenko stated that he has long stopped believing in the possibility of the White-Blues finishing in a prize position.

"I have long said that the podium is out of reach for Kyivans. It is, of course, unpleasant to state the fact that Dynamo lost at home, especially to an average team. After the break, I did not see any improvement. There was depth, but the ball was often passed from one flank to the other without any sharpness," Salenko was quoted by Sport.ua. These words highlight the deep disappointment of the former player, who is witnessing the decline in the level of play of his former team.

However, despite the failures in the championship, Salenko believes that the team, under the leadership of Ihor Kostiuk, should focus on the Ukrainian Cup. "Right now, the main goal is to win the Ukrainian Cup, which guarantees a ticket to European competitions. Moreover, a trophy could somewhat alleviate a disappointing season," added Oleg, pointing to the possibility of salvaging the situation by winning a trophy.

As of today, Dynamo is in fourth place in the Ukrainian Premier League (UPL) standings, trailing the leader LNZ by 9 points, as well as the second place occupied by Shakhtar. This indicates serious problems the team is facing and the urgent need for changes to return to the fight for the top positions.

Dynamo's next match will take place on April 11, when the team will play in Zhytomyr against Metalist 1925 as part of the 23rd round of the UPL. This match is set to begin at 15:30. The team hopes for improved results, as each game becomes critically important in the battle for a higher position in the table.

Additionally, on April 22, the White-Blues will meet the first-league Bukovyna in the semifinals of the Ukrainian Cup. However, it is worth noting that this match has been banned from being played in the home city of the team from Chernivtsi, which may create additional difficulties for both teams.

It is also important to mention that the match between Dynamo and Karpaty ended in scandal. In the 80th minute of the game, Kyiv club forward Matviy Ponomarenko equalized the score, but after a video review, the main referee Dmytro Panchyshyn canceled the goal due to a foul against Karpaty's goalkeeper Nazar Domchak. Following this, Matviy left the field after receiving a second yellow card, which sparked outrage among fans and experts.

Ponomarenko previously also commented on the controversial moment regarding the disallowed goal and his dismissal, emphasizing that such situations negatively impact team spirit and morale. These events only underline the difficult situation Dynamo finds itself in and raise questions about the team's future this season.

Tags: Ihor Kostiuk, FC Dynamo (Kyiv), Oleg Salenko, Football, Sports