Oleh Kerchu
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 Kerchu in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Oleh Mykolayovych Kerchu | ||
| Date of birth | 6 July 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Chernivtsi, Ukrainian SSR | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2005 | Bukovyna Chernivtsi | 123 | (7) |
| 2006 | Desna Chernihiv | 20 | (0) |
| 2007 | Prykarpattya Ivano-Frankivsk | 15 | (0) |
| 2007–2013 | Bukovyna Chernivtsi | 159 | (12) |
| 2014 | Naftan Novopolotsk | 31 | (0) |
| 2015 | Nyva Ternopil | 16 | (3) |
| 2016 | Bukovyna Chernivtsi | 4 | (0) |
| 2016 | Ukraine United | 20 | (3) |
| 2017 | Bukovyna Chernivtsi | 7 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | FC Vorkuta | 27 | (6) |
| 2019 | Bukovyna Chernivtsi | 10 | (1) |
| 2019 | Epitsentr Kamianets-Podilskyi | ||
| 2019–2020 | Pokuttia Kolomyia | ||
| 2021–2022 | FC Probiy Horodenka | ||
| 2023 | Yastrub Polyanitsya | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 28 June 2019 | |||
Oleh Kerchu (Ukrainian: Олег Миколайович Керчу; born 6 July 1984) is a Ukrainian former footballer and currently the youth head coach for FSC Bukovyna Chernivtsi.
Early career
Kerchu began his career in 2001 with Bukovyna Chernivtsi in the Ukrainian First League.[1] In 2006, he signed with Desna Chernihiv in the Ukrainian Second League, where he helped the team secure a promotion by winning the league title.[2] The following season, he returned to the second division by signing with Prykarpattya Ivano-Frankivsk.[3][4]
In 2008, he returned to his hometown club, Bukovyna, and served as team captain.[4][5] During his second tenure with Bukovyna, he helped the club win the league title during the 2009/2010 season, which secured them a promotion to the first league.[4]
Belarus
In the early winter of 2014, he was invited north of the border for a trial with Naftan Novopolotsk.[6] Ultimately, he secured a deal with the club to compete in the Belarusian Premier League.[7][8] Throughout the season, he appeared in 31 matches for Naftan.[9] He left the Belarus circuit after a single season.[9][10] Kerchu would help the club finish fifth in the Belarusian top tier.[11]
Following his stint abroad, he returned to the Ukrainian second division to sign with Nyva Ternopil.[12] After the conclusion of the 2014-15 season, his contract with Ternopil was renewed for another season.[13] His second season with Ternopil was short-lived as he left the team several months later.[14] Kerchu would finish the remainder of the Ukrainian campaign with his former club, Bukovyna Chernivtsi.[15]
Canada
Following his brief stint with Bukovyna, he was linked to a possible move abroad to the Canadian side Toronto Atomic.[16] Instead, he would sign with expansion side Ukraine United in the Canadian Soccer League's first division in the summer of 2016.[17][18] In his debut season, he appeared in 20 matches, recorded 3 goals, and helped secure a postseason berth by finishing second in the division.[19][4] The western Toronto side defeated the Brantford Galaxy in the quarterfinal round.[20] Ukraine's playoff journey would conclude in the next round after a defeat by the Serbian White Eagles.[21]
Kerchu returned to the Canadian circuit in the summer of 2017 to sign with Vorkuta.[22] He would be named the team captain and score his first pair of goals in his debut match against Milton SC.[23] In Vorkuta's debut year in the league, he assisted the club in securing the divisional title.[24][25] Kerchu would contribute a goal in Vorkuta's win over Royal Toronto in the opening round of the playoffs.[26] Ultimately, Vorkuta would be eliminated in the following round by Scarborough SC.[27]
He re-signed with Vorkuta for the 2018 season.[28] In his second season with the club, he helped to secure another playoff berth by finishing second in the division.[29] Their opponents in the preliminary round were Real Mississauga, where they successfully defeated the club.[30] In the semifinal round, Vorkuta would defeat SC Waterloo Region in a penalty shootout to advance to the league championship final.[31] Kerchu would help Vorkuta claim their first league championship after defeating Scarborough.[32][33]
Return to Ukraine
After the conclusion of the Canadian season, he returned to his former club, Bukovyna, to compete in the 2016–17 campaign.[34] He played 7 matches during the club's run in the country's second division.[35]
Kerchu left the Canadian circuit after three seasons and played his final season with Bukovyna in 2019.[36][37] In 2020, he began playing at the regional amateur circuit with Pokuttia Kolomyia.[38] The following year, he played with Probiy Horodenka.[39]
Managerial career
In 2020, he was named the youth head coach for Bukovyna Chernivtsi.[40][41] He joined Bukovyna's senior team coaching staff as the team's physical trainer in 2024.[42]
