The coronavirus pandemic had a significant effect on football, but for Karpaty Lviv it has been critical.
While football activity in Ukraine resumed in previous weeks, Karpaty Lviv has been recently expelled from the league after they didn't appear for two matches.
Ukraine was one of the last countries to suspend the league due to COVID-19.
On March 17, the league was suspended for almost three months. During this time, Karpaty Lviv, who was ranked in the last place, waited until they will be allowed to play again. Their first match was scheduled to be played on May 30 at home against Mariupol.
A few days before the first match, the club got a confirmation that 25 people among the squad and the staff were tested positive. The whole team got into quarantine, while few foreign players who left Ukraine at the beginning of the forced break didn't return. Their first matches were delayed.
After 14 days of quarantine, Karpaty Lviv could go and play again. In the beginning, there was some optimism that they can somehow end the season by the protocol. Their first match was against Olimpik Donetsk. "We have good news, most of the players already recovered," told the team's CEO, Rostislav Yeshishin, to football.ua. "I hope that they all be back soon to training." Although the match was supposed to be played in Lutsk, it was eventually delayed. Lviv was declared as a red zone by the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, the team couldn’t leave their city and the game couldn't be played.
A week later, Karpaty hoped to return for the derby match against FK Lviv. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian FA rescheduled the delayed matches. "It wouldn't easy to play nine matches in three weeks, but we have no choice," said the goalkeeper Oleh Kudryk, to the club’s official site. The game was challenging, and Karpaty barely managed to play a decent match. With a lot of luck, it was ended with a draw. "Many players have left us and we are playing with youngsters," said the manager Roman Sanzhar, per football.ua.
The derby was their last match. Two days later, it was reported that one of the companies that own the club, Krisal Holdings, can't afford themselves to hold 50% of the club anymore. The other owner, Oleh Smaliychuk, the head of Mendil Limited, has tried to take full ownership of the club, but he failed. In this situation, Karpaty had no funds for the next weeks, and more players began to leave.
On July 1, Karpaty Lviv didn't arrive for their rescheduled match against Mariupol. Three days later, they didn't appear once again. The Ukrainian FA had no choice in this case. After two games, the disciplinary committee decided to expel the team from the league, and the rest of their matches were forfeited. The future was in doubt for a team played in 26 out of 28 seasons in the Ukrainian Premier League.
Now Karpaty Lviv is in a race to save the club. The team, as well as Oleh Smaliychuk, made an official announcement. They call Krisal Holdings to sell their share in the club to Smaliycuk and Mendil Limited to avoid dissolution. Mendil Limited was even ready to pay part of Krisal Holdings' debts. "A new connection between the companies is our last chance to help the legendary club," was written in the message.
After weeks of quarantine, with an uncertain economic future, Karpaty Lviv may face a brutal and sad end as a result of the coronavirus. They may not be the last team to face that situation.
Thumbnail photo by the Ukrainian FA official Facebook.