Ivan Kalyuzhny: "The match was very tough because it was a good opponent"

Captain of "Metalist 1925" Ivan Kalyuzhny answered the journalist's questions and summed up the match with "Polissya" on UPL TV:

— Ivan, today "Metalist 1925" lost to "Polissya" with a score of 0:1.

A rather painful defeat that hinders the tasks related to qualifying for European competitions. What are your impressions and emotions after this match?

— The match was very tough because it was a good opponent. The first half was very difficult, but in the second half, we created more chances. I have some questions about the final minutes. Can penalties be awarded in favor of "Polissya" or what is the secret here? When playing against "Dynamo," they create a fuss, but now two clear penalties. The referee doesn't even review. I would like to see the moments and hear the referee's response.

— Regarding the penalties, indeed, there are certain controversial issues. What can you say overall about the game? Why couldn't you achieve a better result in terms of gameplay?

— We couldn't score a goal. The first half didn't go well for us, but we also had a clear chance — one-on-one, Itodo didn't score. The opponent created several chances. They looked better than us in the first half, but in the second half, we leveled the game and played much better.

— Previously, in the previous season, you personally worked with Ruslan Petrovich's coaching staff. Did the "Polissya" coach surprise you with something today? Did the Zhytomyr team surprise you in this match in general?

— No, they didn't surprise me because they play well in every game. There was nothing surprising. But today we came out and in the second half showed that we can play calmly against them too.

— And after this result — seven points behind in the standings. Do you still have hope personally to continue fighting for European competitions?

— We take it one game at a time. We will hope and do everything to win, and then at the end of the season, we will see.