Shakhtar Dominates UPL Round 26 Awards: Traore Named Player, Turan Wins Coach Honor

Top Player and Coach of UPL Round 26 Announced

According to Главком: The Ukrainian Premier League has revealed the standout player and coach for round 26. Shakhtar Donetsk forward Lassina Traore earned the Player of the Round award, while the club’s coach, Arda Turan, was recognized as Coach of the Round. This double honor underscores Shakhtar’s stronghold on the current season, as their 2-1 victory over Kyiv’s Dynamo solidified their lead at the top of the standings.

Traore played a pivotal role in the win against Dynamo, contributing a goal and an assist. With four matches left in the season, Shakhtar now holds a 10-point advantage over Cherkasy’s LNZ. Traore edged out other contenders for the Player of the Round title, including:

• Karpaty goalkeeper Nazar Domchak
• Epitsentr forward Vadym Sydun
• Polissia utility player Maksym Brahar
• Dynamo forward Matviy Ponomarenko

Arda Turan, named Coach of the Round, surpassed Ukrainian specialists Ruslan Rotan, Ruslan Kostyshyn, and Viktor Skrypnyk. This achievement reflects the high level of preparation and tactical discipline within the team.

Team of the Round 26

The symbolic team for round 26 includes players from eight different clubs. Shakhtar, Polissia, and Poltava each contributed two representatives, while Karpaty, Obolon, Veres, Kolos, and Epitsentr provided one apiece. The UPL Team of the Round (4-4-2 formation) is as follows:

• Domchak
• Polehenko
• Tsipot
• Sarapiy
• Kotsiumaka
• Ferreira
• Sad
• Demchenko
• Braharu
• Traore
• Sydun

Experts nominated 21 players and 11 coaches during the selection process for round 26’s top performers. Notably, war veteran Oleksandr Protchenko has taken over as head coach of Kudrivka, replacing Vasyl Baranov. Kudrivka currently sits in the UPL playoff zone.

Additionally, the women’s team of Kharkiv’s Metalist 1925 secured the Ukrainian championship early, amassing 59 points. These developments highlight the dynamic growth of Ukrainian football across all levels.

Recognizing the best players and coaches each round underscores the rising competition in the Ukrainian Premier League, as well as the consistency of Shakhtar Donetsk, which continues to dominate the championship.

In addition to Shakhtar's impressive performance, the recent match against Dynamo also had significant implications for the league standings and highlighted the ongoing competitive spirit in the UPL. To understand how these developments impact the overall championship race and the achievements of other teams, you can read more about the recent triumph of Metalist 1925, who have made headlines with their early title win.