--- title: "Vitaliy Ponomarev summarizes Cherkasy's debut European campaign: 'Gent' proved stronger in the penalty shootout" description: "Cherkasy LNZ fell just short of advancing in Europe, losing to Gent in a penalty shootout. Head coach Vitaliy Ponomarev summarized the results and emphasized the importance of the experience gained for the future in the championship. βš½πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦" date: 2026-07-31T08:32:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/vitliy-ponomarev-summarizes-cherkassys-debut-european-campaign-gent-proved-stronger-in-the-penalty-shootout tags: [lnz, gent, vitliy-ponomarev, liga-konferentsiy, ukraina] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Vitaliy Ponomarev summarizes Cherkasy's debut European campaign: 'Gent' proved stronger in the penalty shootout ![Head coach of Cherkasy Vitaly Ponomarev on the field after the match against Gent in the European competition](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/31/vitliy-ponomarev-podvel-itogi-debyutnogo-evrokubka-cherkass-gent-ostalsya-silnee-v-serii-penalti/vitliy-ponomarev-podvel-itogi-debyutnogo-evrokubka-cherkass-gent-ostalsya-silnee-v-serii-penalti-1.webp) Cherkasy LNZ's debut European season ended at the Conference League qualifying stage. In the decisive match, the Ukrainian club faced Belgian side Gent and lost in a penalty shootout with a score of 2:4. The match ended in a 0:0 draw after regular and extra time. ### Tactics and substitutions: why the coach did not intervene LNZ head coach Vitaliy Ponomarev commented on the course of the game and his decisions during the post-match press conference. He noted that the structure of the match did not require early tactical changes. "It was difficult to get into such a game, so the players on the field played quite well according to our game plan. Of course, we could have changed tactics earlier, but after the match, we can only discuss it," said the specialist. Ponomarev also explained the late substitutions: they were made not due to problems in the game, but as part of a pre-planned strategy. ### Support after a mistake in the penalty shootout The coach paid special attention to forward Yegor Tverdokhlebov, who came on specifically for the penalty shootout but failed to convert his chance. Ponomarev assured that the team fully supports the player. "Any player can make a mistake. The whole team supports Yegor because this can happen to anyone. Of course, we will count on him in the future," emphasized the coach. ### European experience and prospects in the championship Despite the elimination, Ponomarev positively assessed the level of dedication of his players in the confrontation with an experienced European opponent. He noted that playing under the pressure of a full stadium became a valuable experience for the team. "The Cherkasy club gained important experience playing under the pressure of a full stadium, which will serve as a solid foundation for performances on the domestic stage," added the coach. Ponomarev also expressed confidence in the high competition in the upcoming Ukrainian championship season. He listed the teams that have significantly strengthened and have high ambitions: Shakhtar, Polissya, Kharkiv, and Kyiv Dynamo. "There are teams like Shakhtar, Polissya, Kharkiv, and Kyiv Dynamo – they have quality players and big budgets. But we need to take the good from such matches, analyze them, and immediately draw conclusions for the next game in the championship," concluded Ponomarev. Thus, despite the failure in Europe, LNZ gained invaluable experience and is ready for new challenges in the national championship.