Konstantin Frolov: With each game we added, our team formed and we became stronger

Head coach of Kryvyi Rih ZFK "Kryvbas" Konstantin Frolov summed up the results of the first half of the 2024/2025 season in an interview with club journalists.

We had to create a new team that would be competitive in the championship of Ukraine

- To Kostyantyn Viktorovych, the team finished the first part of the season on the seventh place in the standings. How do you rate this segment of the championship?

- First of all, we faced the fact that we have an almost new team, many young girls. Eight of them had absolutely no experience in the Major League. We had to create a new team that would be competitive in the championship of Ukraine. Somehow we were unlucky with the calendar, because we had three games at the start with favorites, so it was difficult. We had to undergo adaptation in the championship under strict conditions.

The first game was not very successful for our team. We predicted that it would be difficult for us and were afraid that it would not traumatize the girls psychologically, because playing against the defending champions and losing 0:9 is quite painful for both the soccer players and the coaching staff. But with each game we added, became stronger, we formed a team, the girls understood the requirements, they grew and as a result we scored points at the end of the first stage.

It must be taken into account that we had four games where we lost points: a missed penalty against Shakhtar, a conceded goal in stoppage time against Polissy, a conceded ball against Metalist and Ladomyr in the last minutes » in a home match that should have been a win for us. We conceded a goal and lost our chances to get into the top six of the tournament table. In general, the actions of the players and the coaching staff can be rated as a four on a 5-point scale.

- In this season, many new football players appeared in the team. Are you satisfied with this reinforcement and were all the girls able to express themselves?

- Any coach will still not be 100 percent satisfied with everything, there are always some nuances. There are players whom the coach would like to see, but they are not there. To say that we are XNUMX% satisfied is probably not, but we did our best. We have focused on the youth and young girls will come to us, we need not only to make a team, but also to train them. That is why we have a constant learning process. Players who need to be prepared for the future and who should already be competitive against players who are represented in strong teams, in particular the players of the national team of Ukraine.

In general, we are satisfied with the progress of the girls, because we see that they are progressing and the indicator of this is the entry of our soccer players into the girls' and youth national teams of Ukraine. I think that as a result of our further work, all the girls will progress, develop and there is an opportunity to get into the national team. We see progress, it is obvious.

In emotional and psychological terms, the first place is the match against "Obolon"

- Were there moments when the team felt a slump in the game? If so, what do you associate it with?

- We did not have a slump in the game, there was an adaptation to the conditions of the Major League, to the conditions of strong teams, especially at the beginning of the championship. It was important for us to be stable from the point of view of both psychology and physical qualities. Our championship can be conventionally divided into two categories: the teams competing for the championship are "Vorskla", "Colossus", "Metalist" and "Sisters". In games with these teams, we conceded, all other teams are more or less equal. I believe that we more or less decently passed this stage, we fought with all the teams, with the exception of the game with "Vorskla". I think that if we had met them much later in the championship, the game would have had a completely different character.

- Highlight the best and worst matches of the season?

- Probably, the match with "Vorskla" was not very successful. Although this match gave us some experience, an understanding of where we should go next. From the point of view of psychological moments, the worst is definitely against Vorskla. From the point of view of emotions and positive moments, the best game is against Obolon. It was a landmark match, the first victory of the season at the native stadium. The game was also difficult, especially the first half, but in emotional and psychological terms, the match against "Obolon" is in the first place.

- Can you say that the team has grown a lot professionally during this time?

- Yes, of course. The team consists of players who are growing with us, we can see it by their actions, by the way they are already noticed by other football specialists, by the way they are called up to the national team. Their potential is visible, and this is only the beginning, because "Kryvbas" is the youngest team in the championship. We have room to grow and we still need time for that. Maybe it's another two years to form the team, so that the girls get stronger and feel like soccer players of the Major League. And yes, growth in professional terms is definitely there and this motivates the coaching staff for further work.

We count on Belyakova and Vershniak as players of the main team

- Can you tell now what goals the team will face in the second half of the championship?

- First, we need to become stronger as a team so that we have coordinated actions. This applies to the game in attack, defense, in transitional phases. Girls need to become one. We want to see their individual growth and progress, because some girls are not yet developing at the pace we would like. Given their youth and immaturity, we also pay attention to this. Being at the bottom of the tournament table, we will set ourselves the task of remaining on the seventh step and being the first at the bottom of the table. We have a cup game, we really want to go further, we will do our best for it.

- When do you expect the injured Diana Belyakova and Sofia Vershniak to return to training?

- We are in constant contact with them, we know their condition, we know their recovery program and the amount of work they are doing now. We hope that Diana Belyakova will return to training in the general group on January 12. Sofia Vershniak will join us a little later, maybe at the end of January. But the most important thing for us is that we do not rush and do not hurt the girls, because they had quite serious injuries and a serious recovery process. Therefore, we will approach their return gradually and with caution. We count on them a lot as players of the main team and are sure that they will strengthen our team.

Our football players are the future of Ukrainian football

- Since the beginning of the season, a large number of Kryvbas football players received calls to the girls' and youth national teams of Ukraine. How do you think the girls showed themselves in the national teams?

- I believe that the girls in the WU-17 national team are the main link of the team, they determine the game, the character of this team. But they directly affect the team's result. As for the WU-19 national team, there are only two Kryvbas players, but they also play a key role. Victoria Kalinchuk is the team's goalkeeper and Anastasia Stakhniuk is a midfielder. Therefore, we believe that our girls play a leading role in the national teams, they grow and gain international experience, which is very important for them as young soccer players. These girls are the future of Ukrainian football if they continue to study and develop.

- To what extent does playing experience in the national team help girls in performances at the club level?

- International experience is always important, it adds confidence, gives an opportunity to work with players of other European national teams, increases girls' self-esteem and is very motivating. Calling up to the national team is always a big step forward for every player. Calling up to the girls' or youth national team is a great pride. Therefore, girls do a lot of work to get noticed.

- How do you see the development of women's football in Ukraine as a whole?

- Of course, I would like women's football in Ukraine to develop faster, but considering the fact that a full-scale war is currently underway, it is more difficult to do so. Nevertheless, most clubs invest good money for the development of women's football. I would also like more attention to be focused on the training of young players, infrastructure development.

This is already a question for club managers. Also the development and training of coaches, which is very important. Therefore, I would like the UAF and clubs to pay attention to this more consistently. Today, there is a problem in that there are few quality female players, there are no special schools for training, where it would be possible to develop. Therefore, the most important thing is the development of our youth, if we can cover the development of all age categories. Without this, the development of any club will not be long-term.

Media of WFC "Kryvbas" Kryvyi Rih