Former absolute world boxing champion Oleksandr Usik personally congratulated the footballers of Zhytomyr’s Polissya on their victory in the round of 16 of the Ukrainian Cup. According to the club’s press service, as reported by Sport RBC.UA, the boxer walked into the team’s locker room after the end of the match and not only congratulated the players on advancing to the next round of the tournament, but also gave them a number of practical tips on their play. The match took place under extremely difficult conditions: due to an air raid alert, the game stretched to five hours and only finished after 11:00 PM.
Five Hours Under the Sirens: How Polissya Beat Kudrivka
In the round of 16 of the Ukrainian Cup, Polissya defeated Kudrivka with a score of 2:0. The goals in the match were scored by Mykola Haiduchyk and Leandro Andrade. However, the course of the match itself reflected the realities in which Ukrainian football lives today: due to an air raid alert, the game was interrupted and ultimately stretched to five hours, ending deep into the night. Despite the extreme conditions, the Zhytomyr team managed to edge out their opponent and advance to the next round of the tournament.
A Lecture from the Locker Room: “No Emotions, Only Work”
After the end of the match, Usik walked into the locker room and addressed the players. The boxer thanked the team for the victory and urged the footballers to be bolder, to help each other more on the field, and not to lose concentration in key moments. He paid special attention to moments when players “switch off” after a failed build-up or a loss of the ball. “I want to thank the guys for the victory and for what they do. I’d like you to be bolder, to help each other, and not to switch off in certain moments,” Usik stated.
The famous boxer emphasized that a drop in concentration is unacceptable in such episodes. “Sometimes there are moments when the ball goes somewhere — and you switch off. We don’t switch off, not even a bit! We cue each other and keep going. No emotions, only work. And only then can we let the emotions out. Thank you,” he added. In essence, Usik passed on to the players a boxer’s working principle: emotions — only after the victory, and in the process — only work and mutual support.
Usik’s Role at Polissya: First Vice President and Motivator
The boxer’s visit to the locker room was no coincidence: Oleksandr Usik holds the position of first vice president of FC Polissya and actively supports the team, acting in the role of an honorary player and motivator. His appearance at the club is not a one-off gesture, but part of a systematic effort to strengthen the team and its psychological state. In conditions where matches are played under sirens and last for several hours, such support from a well-known person with combat experience holds special significance for the players.
Football in Wartime: The Context of a Five-Hour Match
Five hours of play, ending after 11:00 PM, is not just a statistic, but an indicator of the conditions under which Ukrainian clubs have to compete. Air raid alerts, interruptions, late finishes of matches — all of this is becoming the norm for the Ukrainian Cup and other tournaments. In such a situation, Usik’s words that “there are no emotions, only work” acquire additional meaning: the players have to maintain concentration not only on the field, but also amid a constant external threat. The victory over Kudrivka and the advance to the next round of the Ukrainian Cup become, under these conditions, not just a sporting result, but a symbol of resilience.
