Mykola Pavlov on judicial mistakes: "We want the rules to be the same for everyone"

The advisor to the president of FC Kharkiv Mykola Pavlov shared his impressions of the team's start in the new UPL season and also commented on the refereeing decisions in the first three rounds of the championship.

— Mykola Petrovych, three rounds of the new championship are behind us. What are your impressions of Kharkiv's game and the overall level of the championship?

— Three rounds are still too few to draw any global conclusions. But I like how the team looks, how it reacts to difficult situations, how it tries to play its football. I have worked as a coach for many years and I know that building a team is a process. It is important to see not only the result of a specific match but also where the team is heading.

As for the championship itself, it is competitive. There are no matches where you can already mark down three points in advance. And this is good for Ukrainian football.

— The championship has just begun, and we are already seeing mistakes by referees, which even the refereeing supervisor Nicola Rizzoli acknowledges. How do you, as an advisor to the president of FC Kharkiv and a person with vast coaching experience, assess this situation?

— Right now, I represent FC Kharkiv, so, of course, I look at this situation from the perspective of our club. But after so many years of coaching, I have been on different sides of similar stories and I understand how difficult the referee's job is.

We are not asking for special treatment for Kharkiv. We don't need it. We want one thing - for the rules to be the same for all teams. So when a mistake happens that can directly affect the match result, the club has the right to speak up about it.

— Are you referring to the incident in the previous match against Shakhtar?

— Of course. Moreover, this is not just about our assessment. Nicola Rizzoli confirmed that a penalty should have been awarded in that incident.

"Kharkiv" played a very good match against a strong opponent, created chances, and had the opportunity to get more. That's why such a mistake is especially bitter. One episode in football can often change the whole match.

— There was also a controversial episode in the match against Shakhtar last season.

— Yes. Back then, the situation was reversed - a penalty was mistakenly awarded against our team. So I understand the club's concern when such episodes repeat.

I have been in football long enough not to look for a conspiracy or bias after every mistake. But I also have enough experience to understand that if mistakes are repeated and affect the result, they need to be discussed. Calmly, logically, without unnecessary emotions, but discussed.

— Aren't you afraid that such statements may be perceived as pressure on the referees before the match with Zorya?

— What pressure can there be? We are not asking for a penalty in favor of Kharkiv or any other decision in our favor. On the contrary, we want the referee not to think about which team is in front of him at all.

There are fouls - whistle. No fouls - play continues. I have worked as a coach for many years and always wanted such refereeing. I think every coach wants that.

— How concerned are you that this is happening at the beginning of the championship?

— This is what causes concern. We have played only three rounds, and we already have a situation where after the match, we are forced to discuss not only football but also the referee's mistake, which is later acknowledged at the level of the refereeing supervisor.

A long season is ahead. Teams will fight for the championship, European cups, places in the table, and every point can be crucial. That's why it is very important for the players to determine the result on the field.

— What do you expect from the refereeing in the match against Zorya?

— The same thing I have expected from referees throughout my coaching career - professional and objective work.

We respect the work of referees and understand that they can make mistakes too. But the level of responsibility in the UPL is very high. So we would like to see fewer of such mistakes.

Kharkiv does not need any preferences. We need the same rules for everyone. After the match, we want to discuss football, not refereeing. I think this is in the interests not only of our club but of all Ukrainian football.