When discussing a potential return to the UPL, 32-year-old Ukrainian central midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi praised Hennadiy Butkevych, the president of Zhytomyr's Polissya, and expressed his happiness that a team with such a president and facilities exists in Zhytomyr. Malinovskyi stated his hope that with its current approach, the club could compete for European cups in the future, noting it had been a long time since the city had a football club of such scale. Regarding his own return, Malinovskyi explained that while he still desires to play at a high level, what will happen tomorrow or at the end of the season is unknown. He affirmed that his current focus is solely on Genoa, mentioning that his coach, De Rossi, advises players to think about the club, its logo, fans, and city every day to understand their responsibility. Malinovskyi has 70 caps and 10 goals for Ukraine, joined Genoa in January 2024, and his contract runs until June 2026. His market value is estimated by Transfermarkt at €2.50m. He has been linked with Trabzonspor.