BRODSKY: “I can say that we have resolved this dispute”

FBU President Mikhail Brodsky He talked about the formation of the Ukrainian national team for the February and summer matches.

– How will the squad be constructed for the next qualifying windows?

– Our task now is to support the efforts already made. We will do everything possible to create the strongest team possible in February.

In the summer, when two more qualifying periods will be played, the task will be even more difficult for both me as president of the federation and the management. However, we will work to ensure that the national team is represented by the strongest players during these periods.

– After the meeting with the coach, many people talked about the situation with the players who could not come in the summer. How do you evaluate this now?

– This situation needs to be evaluated very carefully. It so happened that all the players who could not make it to the national team in the summer fell into the same line, although they had different reasons, both objective and subjective. Some were injured, while others had to fly to the other side of the world.

The emotions in such a situation are understandable, but it’s not always easy to sort out all the nuances of the moment. I had to study this issue in detail: I personally talked with several players, we discussed everything openly, I heard their position and understood their goals. Apparently not all information was passed on to the coaching staff, leading to a certain misunderstanding of information.

It is clear that everyone has their own life moments and more. They promised that they are ready to play for the Ukrainian national team at any time if the calendar and health contribute to this. I thank them for this position, we will be happy to see them in the national team. I really hope to see Dmitry Skapintsev in February and our other top players in the summer. They have a civic position for which we thank them today.

I believe that now is the time to unite, not sow the seeds of conflict. My main task is to ensure that the strongest players play in the Ukrainian national team. Both the coach and the basketball players want this.

I had an extensive conversation with Svyatoslav Mikhailyuk and Dmitry Skapintsev, students of my private school. We discussed all the points, emphasized them, but in fact there are issues that need to be resolved. I am sure that we did this, and today there is mutual understanding: under favorable conditions, they are ready to play for the Ukrainian national team. The head coach also hears their position. He has already apologized to players for not being able to control his emotions during press conferences and interviews over the summer. I can now say that we have resolved this contradiction.

– Who else does the coaching team trust in the future?

– We also trust other players playing abroad. We are talking about Alexey Lenya, Bogdan Bliznyuk, Vladimir Gerun, Maxim Shulga.

At the same time, you have to understand that the short window in February is very difficult logistically and physically for basketball players playing in Japan or Taiwan. Therefore, most of these questions are especially relevant for the summer windows, when there are more opportunities to create the optimal composition.

The main thing now is to consolidate efforts for victory, which is what Ukraine needs today. If we talk about sports, we need wins on the sports field. For this, everyone needs to do their best.

And this applies not only to the 12 players included in the squad for a particular match, but also to all basketball players included in the expanded list of the Ukrainian national team. Only together will we be able to accomplish the main task: reaching the 2027 World Cup.