Ahead of the season opener, a closer look at Dnipro's fierce rival, Sukha Balka.
Ahead of the season opener, Athletic Futsal introduces a fierce rival — the Sukha Balka club from Zhovti Vody. Founded only in 2022, it has already made a name for itself at the highest level of Ukrainian futsal.
The head-to-head record spans 11 matches and favours the Dnipro side: 8 wins for Athletic Futsal, 2 draws and just 1 defeat, with a goal difference of 36–21. The derby's top scorer is Vladyslav Vasyliev, who has netted 5 goals in these games.
The rivalry has a rich history. In 2023/24, in the First League, Athletic Futsal beat their opponents in the final on aggregate (6:2, 2:4) and defeated them twice in the group stage (4:2, 1:0). In 2024/25, the debut Extra League season for both clubs, the Dnipro side won the first leg (2:1) and drew the second (2:2), while Sukha Balka went as far as the Ukrainian Cup final that year. In 2025/26 the regular season brought an Athletic Futsal win (3:2) and a draw (3:3), and in the playoff semifinal series Oleksandr Kabanenko's men confidently took three victories (3:1, 5:1, 5:3) — though Sukha Balka ultimately claimed bronze.
The opponent reshaped its squad over the off-season: in came Mykyta Kozliuk (Kardinal-Avangard), Nazar Pershyn (Sokil), Bakhman Fataliiev (Avalon) and Danil Syrotenko (Liubart), while Anatolii Milinkyi, Oleh Lehendzevych and Andrii Teriaiev departed. Sukha Balka's head coach is Stanislav Honcharenko.
Very soon the rivals will meet again — this time in the opening round of the new Extra League season.