Game Day. "Kharkiv" - "Veres"

August 1, 2026. Kyiv region, "Arena Left Bank". 1st round of UPL. The game starts at 15:30.

Referee - Mykhailo Raida (Irshava, Zakarpattia region).

Assistant referees - Serhii Dariichuk (Chernivtsi) and Petro Kotubey (Zakarpattia region).

Fourth official - Sofia Prychyna (Lviv region).

VAR referee - Mykola Balakin (Kyiv region).

VAR assistant - Vitalii Skoblia (Kyiv).

VAR observer - Viktor Derdo (Chornomorsk).

UAF arbitration observer - Andrii Shandor (Lviv).

Live broadcast of the match on the UPL.TV channel.

Preview: "Kharkiv" was preparing for the season in Austria, where, for almost a month, the team, in addition to a tight training schedule, also had 8 friendly matches against serious opponents, most of whom compete in European competitions. The team won once, played to a draw twice, and lost to opponents 5 times. It is worth noting that Mladen Bartulovich's team was reinforced by 5 newcomers during the offseason. In addition to Oleksandr Yatsyk, Carlos Paraco, and Rafael Profini, goalkeeper Georgiy Yermakov from "Maccabi" Haifa and left-back Artem Smolyakov from the American "Los Angeles" joined the team after returning from the training camp. Interestingly, the latter joined the club on a one-year loan. After returning from the training camp in Austria, the team spent the last week in Ukraine, where they were purposefully preparing for the match against "Veres".

"Veres" enters the new season under the leadership of Oleg Shandurak, who successfully completed the task last season - to keep the team in the UPL. During the offseason spent in Ukraine, the Rivne team played 7 friendly matches: won one, drew three times, and suffered three defeats. The total goal difference was 10:10. It is worth noting that many experienced players left the team in the summer, which raises expectations for a rejuvenated squad in the new season. Apart from Serhii Korniichuk and Denys Ndukwe, whose loans expired, Andrii Kozhukhar, Serhii Sten, Roman Honcharenko, and Dmytro Klyots left the club. Among the acquisitions, the arrival of Australian forward Nathaniel Blair stands out.

More news about the team can be found in our Telegram channel

UPL, 1st round

Friday, July 31

18:00 "Zorya" - "Kolos" - 2:0

Saturday, August 1

13:00 "Kryvbas" - "Karpaty"

15:30 "Kharkiv" - "Veres"

Sunday, August 2

13:00 "Chornomorets" - "Polissya"

15:30 "Epicenter" - "Obolon"

Monday, August 3

15:30 "Bukovyna" - "LNZ"

18:00 "Shakhtar" - "Kudrivka"

Profile - FC "Veres" (Rivne)

Year of establishment: 1957 (in its current format - 2015).

Club colors: red and black.

Home stadium: "Avangard", Rivne; capacity - about 14,500 spectators.

President: Ivan Nadein.

Head coach: Oleg Shandruk.

Official website: nkveres.com

Historical background: The People's Club "Veres" Rivne has a history closely intertwined with the development of football in Rivne. Founded in 1957, it has gone through a long journey from competing in the championship of the Ukrainian SSR to participating in Ukrainian professional leagues. Over the decades, "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" was reborn, receiving 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 an amateur championship to the Premier League, and once again made a mark on the national level. Today, "Veres" is a symbol of resilience and dedication to its city, a club that continues to build its own history with the people of Rivne, staying true to its roots and striving for new football heights.

Achievements:

Amateur Champion of Ukraine (2015/2016) - a crucial step in the club's return to the professional level.

Promotion to the Second League (2016) - the revived "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. The main core of supporters, which has gone through the stages of decline, revival, and return to elite football with the team, is formed here. Thanks to the status of a people's club and a transparent model of interaction with fans, 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 7 million 200 thousand euros, which ranks 11th in the UPL. The most expensive players are foreigners: Slovenian defender Kai Tsipot and Greek defender Konstantinos Stamoulis - each valued at 700 thousand euros.