--- title: "Surkis sacks Kostyuk: Dynamo lose head coach after defeat to Polissya against ten men" description: "Dynamo President Ihor Surkis has dismissed Ihor Kostyuk from his post as head coach following a 1:3 defeat to Polissya in the 9th round of the UPL. Maciej Kedzorek has temporarily taken charge of the team." date: 2026-10-18T15:09:46.758Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/surkis-sacks-kostyuk-as-dynamo-head-coach tags: [dynamo-kyiv, igor-kostyuk, igor-surkis, ukrainian-premier-league, polissya, football, coach-dismissal] author: "Dmitriy Shatolov" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Surkis sacks Kostyuk: Dynamo lose head coach after defeat to Polissya against ten men ![Dynamo Kyiv head coach Ihor Kostyuk giving a press conference at a table with microphones](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/18/surkis-uvolil-kostyuka-s-dolzhnosti-glavnogo-trenera-dinamo/surkis-uvolil-kostyuka-s-dolzhnosti-glavnogo-trenera-dinamo-1.webp) ## Key Points - Ihor Kostyuk was dismissed from the position of head coach of Dynamo Kyiv by decision of club president Ihor Surkis - The decision was made after Dynamo's 1:3 defeat to Polissya in the 9th round of the UPL, with Kyiv playing with a man advantage from the 5th minute - Maciej Kedzorek has been appointed as acting head coach - The first match under the new manager will be against Kudrivka on October 23 - No announcement has been made yet regarding the appointment of a permanent head coach for Dynamo Kyiv's Dynamo have announced the dismissal of Ihor Kostyuk from the position of head coach of the first team. The decision was made by the capital club's president Ihor Surkis immediately after the end of the ninth-round match of the Ukrainian Premier League, in which the White-Blues lost to Zhytomyr's Polissya with a score of 1:3. This is reported by Sport RBC.UA with reference to the official website of the Kyiv club, and is also confirmed by press releases from dynamo.kiev.ua and ua-football.com. ### The defeat that became the final straw The 9th round UPL match, which took place on Sunday, October 18, in Zhytomyr, became one of the most painful for Dynamo in the current season. Kostyuk's team lost 1:3, despite playing with a numerical advantage from the fifth minute of the match after a Polissya player was sent off. Despite having an extra man for almost the entire game, the Kyiv side not only failed to capitalize on it but also lost in all key parameters. This defeat, presumably, became the final straw for the club's management and served as the direct reason for making the personnel decision. ### Who will prepare the team during the transition period Maciej Kedzorek, representing the coaching staff of the White-Blues, has been temporarily appointed as the acting head coach of Dynamo Kyiv. It is he who will take over the preparation of the players for the upcoming Ukrainian championship matches. The first test for the team under the new coaching arrangement will be a meeting with Kudrivka, scheduled for October 23. The appointment of a permanent head coach is not reported at the moment — the club, apparently, intends to conduct a more thorough selection of candidates. ### Context: what is behind Surkis's decision Kostyuk's dismissal occurred against the backdrop of the ongoing search for an optimal manager for the capital club. Ihor Kostyuk, who previously worked with Dynamo in various positions on the coaching staff, was appointed head coach, but the team's results in the current season did not satisfy the management. The defeat against Polissya — a team that also played a man down in that match — became a symbolic point in his work. Surkis's decision was made promptly: even before the post-match press conference ended, it became known that Kostyuk was leaving his post. ### What's next for Dynamo The club faces the task not only to stabilize the game in the upcoming rounds under Kedzorek's leadership, but also to determine a long-term coaching strategy. Ahead of the White-Blues is a match against Kudrivka on October 23, after which it will probably become clearer in which direction the club will look for a permanent manager. Meanwhile, fans and experts are watching how the team will react to the change in the coaching staff and whether they can overcome the negative mood associated with the recent defeat. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Игорь Костюк уволен с должности главного тренера "Динамо": кто его заменит](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/igorya-kostyuka-zvilneno-posadi-golovnogo-1792335838.html) - Primary source. Confirms dismissal, score 1:3, man advantage from the 5th minute, appointment of Kedzorek, match against Kudrivka on October 23. - [Официально. Игорь Костюк уволен с должности главного тренера «Динамо»](https://dynamo.kiev.ua/news/740760-ofitsialno-igor-kostyuk-uvolen-s-dolzhnosti-glavnogo-trenera-dinamo) - Official club website. Confirms all key facts: Surkis's decision, score 3:1, Kedzorek as acting head coach, match against Kudrivka on October 23. - [ОФИЦИАЛЬНО. Суркис уволил Костюка с должности тренера Динамо](https://www.ua-football.com/ukrainian/high/1792334441-oficialno-surkis-uvolil-kostyuka-s-dolzhnosti-trenera-dinamo.html) - Independent confirmation of dismissal after the 1:3 defeat in the 9th round. - [ОФИЦИАЛЬНО. Костюк больше не тренер Динамо](https://www.ua-football.com/ukrainian/high/1792334441-oficialno-kostyuk-bolshe-ne-trener-dinamo.html) - Additional confirmation of the same event. ## FAQ ### Why was Ihor Kostyuk dismissed? Kostyuk was dismissed by decision of Dynamo President Ihor Surkis following the team's 1:3 defeat against Zhytomyr's Polissya in the 9th round of the UPL. Notably, Dynamo played with a numerical advantage from the fifth minute. ### Who has temporarily taken charge of Dynamo? Maciej Kedzorek, a member of the club's coaching staff, has been appointed acting head coach. He will prepare the team for the upcoming matches, including the meeting with Kudrivka on October 23. ### When will Dynamo appoint a permanent coach? At the time of publication, no information regarding the appointment of a permanent head coach has been reported. The club is likely to conduct a selection process in the near future. ### What was the score in the match against Polissya? Zhytomyr's Polissya defeated Kyiv's Dynamo with a score of 3:1. At the same time, Polissya had a player sent off in the fifth minute, meaning the Kyiv side spent almost the entire game with a man advantage.