Oleksandr Petrakov: It is important to me that Kryvbas genuinely wanted me there

Oleksandr Petrakov, the new head coach of Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih, has given his first interview in his new role.

- Oleksandr Vasylovych, what are your initial impressions of the club and the city?

- Very positive. I’ve been shown the infrastructure, and I like everything a lot. I’m currently getting to know the players and assembling my coaching staff.

- How did the negotiations and the signing of the contract come about?

- It all happened very quickly. The General Director called me, and we arranged to meet. The following day, I met with the club president. We spoke for about five hours - discussing football and future plans. I came away from that meeting with an extremely positive impression. Kostiantyn Karamanits is a man who is truly in love with football; he genuinely cares about the sport and is deeply invested in the team. The same goes for the General Director, Volodymyr Baienko.

After our long conversation, they said, "Vasylovych, we’ll give you a call tomorrow." I replied, "Alright, goodbye, and good luck." But that same evening, they called again: "It’s a done deal - we’re sending a car for you; please set off tomorrow morning." That was when I realized they genuinely wanted me here, which is very important to me.

- What can the fans expect from the team’s style of play under your leadership?

- You will certainly see the kind of football I prefer out on the pitch. In the past, I’ve faced criticism in Ukraine for playing what’s called "vertical" football. For me, the key elements are a rapid transition from defense to attack, total commitment, and seeing a fire in the players' eyes. I cannot yet say how functionally ready they are at the moment, but we will work on it.

Media of FC "Kryvbas" Kryvyi Rih