Roman Debelko: Moving up to the first team is a step forward and a great responsibility

From the club academy to the first team’s coaching staff: Roman Debelko has been appointed as an assistant to Oleksandr Petrakov on the Kryvbas first team. Having spent over a year successfully working with the "Red-and-Whites'" youth and reserve squads, he will now bring his experience to the Premier League level.

- Roman Mykolayovych, you have been part of the Kryvbas setup for over a year, having coached the U-14, U-17, and U-21 teams. How would you assess this period, and to what extent has it helped you develop as a coach?

- It was a wonderful period. I started in the Academy and, step by step, made my way to the first team. In terms of coaching experience, this journey has been incredibly valuable and has taught me a great deal about the profession.

- What does this move to the first team’s coaching staff mean to you, and how does working at the UPL (Ukrainian Premier League) level differ from working with youth teams?

- It is certainly a major step forward for me. The main difference at the UPL level is that the result of every single match is of critical importance. As for the training process itself, I don’t expect any radical changes - especially since I already know many of the players well, and I even played alongside some of them. Our shared goal is to quickly establish a rapport, fully grasp the head coach’s requirements, and be as useful as possible to him and the team as a whole.

- Has Oleksandr Petrakov defined your specific responsibilities within the coaching staff?

- Yes, my roles have already been outlined: I will focus on working with the attacking group and will be specifically responsible for that area.

- Do you see the move to a Premier League team as a new challenge?

- Absolutely! It’s a new level of responsibility, a completely different pace, and a higher caliber of players. So, it really is a serious challenge - one I am fully prepared for.

Media of FC "Kryvbas" Kryvyi Rih