Game Day. "Metalist 1925" - "Veres"
April 15, 2026. Rivne, "Avangard". 15th round of UPL - match completion. The game starts at 18:00
Referee - Vitaliy Romanov (Dnipro)
Assistant referees - Andriy Semenov (Dnipro) and Denys Serdyuk (Poltava)
Fourth official - Artem Mikhaylyuk (Kyiv)
VAR referee - Oleksandr Shandor (Lviv)
VAR assistant - Dmytro Yevtukhov (Dnipro)
VAR observer - Oleg Zubarev (Slovyansk)
UAF arbitration observer - Valeriy Kurganov (Cherkasy)
Live broadcast of the match on UPL.TV channel.
Preview: In the previous round, Kharkiv team won at home against "Dynamo", extending their unbeaten streak to 3 matches. The match was also historic for "Metalist 1925" for several reasons: it was the club's 100th match in UPL, and the victory over "Dynamo" was the first in the history of clashes between these teams.
The team currently holds the 5th place with 38 points (goal difference: 25-13), having a match in hand against "Veres". The team's top scorer is Denys Antyukh (4 goals and 3 assists), also scoring 4 goals are Peter Itodo and 1 assist. Among the injured players is Vyacheslav Churko, who is recovering from an injury.
After 22 rounds, "Veres" is in 10th place with 26 points (goal difference: 19-25). In the last round, Rivne team defeated "Obolon" at home with a score of 2:0, securing their second victory in the spring. The team's top scorers are Vitaliy Boyko, Vladyslav Sharay, and Denys Ndukwe, each with 4 goals.
Throughout the history of clashes between "Metalist 1925" and "Veres", they have played eight matches against each other (5 in UPL, 2 in the First League, and 1 match in the Cup). Interestingly, at the PFL level, there was a draw and a victory for Kharkiv, while in UPL, Rivne team won.
UPL, 15th round
Friday, December 6
18:00 "Zorya" - "Karpaty" - 1:0
Saturday, December 7
13:00 "LNZ" - "Obolon" - 3:0
15:30 "Kolos" - "Shakhtar" - 0:0
18:00 "Kudrivka" - "Dynamo" - 1:2
Sunday, December 8
13:00 "Kryvbas" - "Oleksandriya" - 3:0
15:30 "Metalist 1925" - "Veres"
18:00 "Rukh" - "Polissya" - 1:0
Monday, December 1
15:30 "Poltava" - "Epicenter" - 0:3
Profile — FC "Veres" (Rivne)
Year of establishment: 1957 (in the current format — 2015)
Club colors: red and black
Home stadium: "Avangard", Rivne; capacity — about 14,500 spectators
President: Ivan Nadein
Head coach: Oleh Shandruk
Official website: nkveres.com
Historical background: The People's Club "Veres" Rivne has a history closely intertwined with the development of Rivne football. Founded in 1957, it has come a long way through various stages — from competing in the championship of the Ukrainian SSR to participating in Ukrainian professional leagues.
Throughout its decades-long history, "Veres" has experienced ups and downs, multiple reorganizations, financial crises, and even forced cessation of activities. However, the main strength of the club has always been its fans, who have preserved its spirit and traditions.A turning point came in 2015 when "Veres" experienced a revival and received a new impetus for development as a people's club. The management model based on openness and fan participation quickly yielded results: the team regained its professional status, moved from the amateur championship to the Premier League, and once again made a name for itself at the national level. Today, "Veres" is a symbol of resilience and dedication to its city, a club that continues to build its own history together with the people of Rivne, staying true to its roots and striving for new football heights.
Achievements: Ukrainian Amateur Champion (2015/2016) - a crucial step in the club's return to the professional level.
Promotion to the Second League (2016) - the restored "Veres" confidently entered professional football.
Promotion to the First League (2016/2017) - the team's rapid progress allowed it to move up a level in one season.
Bronze medalist of the First League (2016/2017) - a result that paved the way to the UPL.
Promotion to the Ukrainian Premier League (2017) - the historic return of the club to the elite division of Ukrainian football.
Regaining professional status and return to the UPL (2021) - after reorganization and several seasons in lower divisions, the team once again earned the right to compete among the strongest.
Geography: The support base of FC "Veres" is closely tied to Rivne and the entire Rivne region, where the club has its strongest fan base and long-standing traditions. It is here that the core of fans is formed, which has gone through the stages of decline, revival, and return to elite football with the team. Thanks to the status of a "people's club" and a transparent model of interaction with fans, the support for "Veres" is gradually expanding beyond the region.
Head Coach: 42-year-old Oleg Shandruk - a former Ukrainian footballer who played as a defender. He began his professional career at the club "Volyn" (Lutsk), making his debut in the 2000/01 season. He later played for clubs such as "Shakhtar-2" / "Shakhtar-3" (Donetsk), "Arsenal" (Kyiv), "Chornomorets" (Odesa), again Volyn, and "Sevastopol." After finishing his professional career, he played for amateur clubs for some time.
Coaching Career: After retiring from playing, Oleg Shandruk transitioned to coaching. From 2015 to 2018, he coached "ODEK." In 2018, he joined the coaching staff of "Veres" - initially as an assistant, then as an interim head coach, and from September 20 of the same year, he became the head coach. After a short break in coaching, he returned to "Veres" first as the coach of the youth team (U-19), and from 2023, he again took over the first team.
Transfermarkt: According to Transfermarkt, the squad value of "Veres" is 8 million 150 thousand euros. The most expensive player is Slovenian defender Kai Cipot (700 thousand euros), while among Ukrainian players, Maxim Smiyan and Vitaliy Boyko have the highest value - 600 thousand euros each.
The team includes players from Brazil, Moldova, Slovenia, Greece, Portugal, and Namibia.
