Sergei Shishchenko has been appointed acting coach of the Zhytomyr club.
Yuri Kalitvintsevleft the post of head coach of Polesie.
As reported by the president of the Zhytomyr club Gennady Butkevich, the 55-year-old Ukrainian specialist independently decided to resign.
“Yuri Nikolaevich Kalitvintsev decided to resign on his own. It was an extremely difficult decision for him, as well as for me – to agree on it. Yuri Kalitvintsev is a person whom I respect extremely. With each year of our cooperation, this respect only became stronger. With us Close and trusting relationships have formed, which I really value and will never forget what he did for the Polesie football club.
Yuriy Kalitvintsev is a man-epoch in the history of Zhytomyr football. In the summer of 2021, when Yuri Nikolaevich accepted my offer to lead the team, a new, most successful era in the history of FC Polesie began. We went through the beginning of a full-scale war together. I can say with confidence that at that moment it was Kalitvintsev who retained the composition. Despite the constant interest in our players during that period, no one left the club. Together with him we went through a very big test. And with this composition of players he won the First League and led the team to the Premier League. And for this historical achievement we must thank Yuri Nikolaevich.
An ambitious, experienced and strong character person. The coach who created the champion team. The coach who led Polissya to the semi-finals of the Ukrainian Cup for the first time. This is forever in the history of Zhytomyr football. How can you relate to such a coach? Only with great gratitude and respect,” Butkevich’s statement is quoted by the official website of the Zhytomyr club.
Butkevich also said that Sergei Shishchenko has become the acting head coach of “Polesie”, who until recently headed the leader of the Second League “Zvyagel”.
“Sergei Shishchenko has been appointed acting. With all due respect to foreign coaches, I believe that “Polesie” should be led by a Ukrainian specialist. We have a lot of talented specialists : Vernidub, Skripnik, Rotan, Rebrov, Grigorchuk, and I would like Shishchenko to join this team of specialists,” said Butkevich.
Recall that Kalitvintsev has headed Polesie since June 2021. Under his leadership, the Zhytomyr team entered the UPL, won 38 of 65 matches, the goal difference was 112:54.
Currently, the Zhytomyr club is in sixth place in the UPL standings, with 33 points after 20 matches.
Currently, the Zhytomyr club is in sixth place in the UPL standings, with 33 points after 20 matches.
Polesie have not won six matches in a row in the Ukrainian championship, and in three games after the winter break they scored only one point. The last time the Zhytomyr team won was on November 11 last year in a match with Metalist 1925 (2:1).
In the next round of the Ukrainian championship, the Zhytomyr team will play away against Obolon on Saturday, March 16.