Vasyl Baranov is keeping his feet firmly on the ground despite leading Premier League newcomers "Kudrivka" to a successful debut. The senior coach of the Chernihiv region club is now focused on their upcoming away fixture against "Zorya" Luhansk in the second tour of the Ukrainian Premier League.
"I think the euphoria after the first match should have passed by now. We've only played one tour, with 29 more ahead. If we continue in this euphoric state, it will have quite negative consequences," Baranov explained during his pre-match comments.
The coach emphasized how quickly the team returned to their training routine after the initial success. His approach reflects a pragmatic philosophy – get over defeats quickly, but move on from victories even faster.
Baranov admits feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the sudden media attention he's receiving in the top flight. "I wouldn't say I had a spectacular playing career to boast about. Regarding coaching, the Premier League is definitely a different level. There's so much attention on me now, and I feel like I don't deserve it. I still feel somewhat out of place," he confessed.
Interestingly, despite being named the best coach of the first tour, the humble specialist deflected personal praise. "This is an achievement of the entire club, not just mine personally. The entire coaching staff, club management, and players worked in the first tour. They're the ones who implemented our ideas in that game," he stated.
"Perhaps it's some kind of advance payment – it happened and they recognized it. It's nice, but both players and coaching staff need to keep working and improving," Baranov added.
The match between "Zorya" and "Kudrivka" is scheduled for August 11 at 18:00. Can the Premier League newcomers continue their surprising start to the season? We'll soon find out.
