Igor Surkis: "If Lucescu leaves Dynamo, then only as a winner"

Dynamo President Igor Surkis gave an extensive interview in which he spoke about the causes of the capital club's crisis and how the team is going to get out of it.

Time will pass and fans will still applaud this Dynamo

- Igor Mikhailovich, what is the reason for the protracted Dynamo crisis?

- I must say right away that I do not relieve myself of responsibility for what is happening with the team today. But! I will not make excuses.

I will support the team financially and morally, no matter how long this crisis lasts. I will not leave the team in any situation. You could see this for more than 20 years of my reign at the club.

— So what happened to the team?

— We held a huge number of charity matches, where we gave our best no less than in the Champions League qualifying games. There has been a breakdown. In addition, Dynamo for the first time in history went through three rounds of selection. We played the hardest matches with Fenerbahce and Sturm with extra time. The calendar was also not favorable to us, and we played the first games at home.

Benfica was just too tough for us. Dynamo could only oppose them with a good physical shape, but, unfortunately, we no longer had this. Benfica today plays with one of the richest clubs in the world, PSG, on equal terms. Frankly speaking, we were not lucky with the lot.

After that, the team really fell into a crisis. But not gaming, but psychological. This is due to constant moving. We are changing hotels, we do not have a permanent place of registration. We hoped that Zorya and Vorskla would get into the group stages of the European Cups and we would play our matches with these clubs in the championship abroad, in the place where we will be based. Then we would not have been moving for nine hours.

The team is constantly on trains, planes and buses. But we don't complain. Also, Dynamo could not strengthen itself. But these are not excuses, but objective reasons, because there is a war going on in the country. And I also don't care about football at all.

My brother and I are helping the IDPs, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, building a hospital, a kindergarten, as much as we can. Through United 24, they financed the construction of a hospital in Kharkiv and its provision with modern medical equipment. Every day we import humanitarian aid and do everything so that our country finally defeats the Russian lawless people. Every day our inhabitants die at the hands of these barbarians. And today the main thing is Ukraine's victory in the war.

— Dynamo held a lot of charity matches before the start of the season. If you knew that charity matches would affect the physical condition of the team today, would you cancel them?

- If I could repeat this path, knowing what results we would have today and that we would end up in a hole, I would still hold charity matches to benefit our country. It was Lucescu's idea, and I fully supported it. We sent all the money raised to the Embassy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Social Policy and United 24.

— Why does Shakhtar, unlike Dynamo, perform well in European cups and UPL?

“They didn’t have such a difficult schedule as we do. The miner got directly into the Champions League, so they had a completely different preparation. I promise you, time will pass and fans will still applaud this Dynamo. We got into this crisis together and we will get out of it together.

- Shakhtar also had their own problems before the start of the season, their team changed by 80 percent.

- We also had a young team two years ago, when Lucescu came. And then we also beat Shakhtar and played twice in the group stage of the Champions League. The mechanism needs to be lubricated from time to time, but, unfortunately, the war made its own adjustments.

The contract with Lucescu is built on a gentlemanly basis, there are no compensation clauses

- Tell us about your newcomers - Parris and Lohnwijk.

- Lonwijk demonstrated in the match with Vorskla that he is the future of Dynamo. Parris is still adapting. After the winter break, they will be of great benefit to the team. Also, Diallo, Vanat, Zabarny, Popov, Sirota, Dubinchak, Vivcharenko, Yatsyk, Neshcheret have not yet said their last word.

We need to get through this difficult period and try to reach the European Cup spring in the match against AEK. In winter there will be changes. If we see that some player is not able to give something to the team, then he will look for another club. We are ready for restructuring and, if possible, we will strengthen ourselves even more. Any team can be in our situation.

- In a recent interview, the well-known agent Denis Lachter said that he once offered you to sign the young Sergio Aguero and Dani Alves, but you refused to pay a million. It was so?

- He can also say that Ronaldo and Messi offered me. That's bullshit. He's probably not right in the head. Which Aguero? Which Alves? I don't want to comment on blatant nonsense.

- Many accuse Dynamo of incomprehensible transfers when players sign, who then do not play. Can you comment?

- All the players we signed would play in Dynamo today. Ramirez was simply necessary for us today, but he did not want to stay and took advantage of the FIFA rule, like Shakhtar legionnaires. Vitinho was already played for the main team.

If it weren't for the war, we wouldn't have let Verbich go free, but sold him. There was a specific proposal from Panathinaikos on it. After Vitinho left, we tried to keep Verbic, but at the last minute he did not want to stay in a warring country. This is his right.

- But what can you say about Benito, who has been with the team for three years, but played only five minutes in 2020? Why was he included in the UPL application if Lucescu does not count on him?

— Benito is not in the team today. I don't even know where he is. Thank you for saying, we will remove it from the application, probably, we accidentally entered it. Benito is Seluc's football player, and I didn't pay a single penny for him. But he could not prove himself in the team.

- Do all Dynamo transfers go through Luceska?

- All Dynamo transfers are agreed with the head coaches. So it was before Lucescu. There is no other way for us. Lucescu coordinated all transfers.

- Why hasn't Lucescu given Diallo a chance in the first team yet?

- I do not comment on the actions of the head coach. I fully trust and will trust Lucescu. Let me remind you that at one time Shakhtar's fans demanded his resignation, and after that he won the UEFA Cup. The Donetsk club then lagged behind Dynamo by 21 points, but Lucescu then brought the team out of the crisis.

- Viktor Vacko said that Lucescu could leave Dynamo, but his contract stipulates compensation for breaking the agreement. This is true?

- Lucescu's contract does not contain any compensation if I fire him or he leaves on his own. Our contract is built on gentlemanly principles. Lucescu can leave at any moment, but he cannot leave without a winner.

Believe me, if Lucescu leaves Dynamo, then only a winner. He does everything right. No need to hang all the dogs on the trainer. God grant that all young coaches work as hard as he does. Lucescu thinks about football 24 hours a day.

Vacko's statement is a lie sucked from the finger. I would recommend him not to do such cheap things. He knows my phone perfectly and, when necessary, can dial me.

- Many people also say that Igor Kostyuk will become Lucescu's successor.

- It is not true. Lucescu will work with Dynamo as long as he can, or if he says that he cannot give anything more to this team. We need a short break and Lucescu will return the team to its former level. I am sure about that! We have a few coaches in Ukraine who can work like Lucescu.

Maybe the team is used to living in comfortable conditions and cannot adjust to wartime

- As far as I know, after the second match with Rennes there was a team meeting. What did you talk about?

— There was no meeting. After the match with Rennes, I was in the dressing room for 10 minutes and said that we had a very important game ahead of us with Shakhtar. Then, together with the team, he moved to Lviv.

I talked with our captain Sidorchuk and leaders: Buyalsky, Tsygankov. They understand everything very well and are very worried. I kind of feel sorry for them. I would not say that there is a lack of concentration in the team, rather, some kind of fear.

In the match with Vorskla, we could both win and lose. Karavaev had a moment when it was easier to score, but he did not score. This does not mean that the team is not given on the field and in the training process.

Maybe this means that our team is used to living in comfortable conditions and cannot adjust to wartime. But every Dynamo footballer must understand that it is much harder for our soldiers in the trenches. They should think and everyone should draw a conclusion for themselves. Then they will drop the psychological burden and it will become easier. You need to be afraid not for the result, but for the game they show on the field.

They play slowly because they are afraid to make a mistake, they play fast because they make mistakes. You just need to play the football they have been playing for the past two years. Then they will no longer be afraid.

— How do you set up Dynamo players for the match with AEK in the Europa League?

“We are talking, explaining to remove this psychological burden of responsibility. We do not have a training process. Yesterday we played with Vorskla, today the team went to Chisinau by bus, tomorrow they will have a training session and fly to Cyprus. I'm already here because there was a little problem with the location. Thank God, we managed to solve it. We found the fields and we hope that the team will have a full training session after their arrival.

- Dynamo in the championship of Ukraine is 12 points behind the first place, having a game in hand. What is the goal of the team for the UPL season?

- Dynamo has the most ambitious goals - not to look at the tournament table and achieve victory in every match. Whether it works or not is another question.

- Are you ready for radical changes in the course of the season and sacrifice the fight for the championship for this?

— What does a radical decision mean to you? Kick everyone out and recruit a new team? No, I'm not ready. Neither our head coach nor the players deserve this.

In the summer, there was an offer from Girona with promises to Tsygankov that he would play for Manchester City

- It cannot be that the Dynamo crisis lies in the fact that most of the players lost motivation due to the fact that they wanted to leave for European clubs, but you did not let them go, and they lost motivation?

— I haven't heard about it. If there is, then they should come up and tell me about it. If the players really lost motivation, then in winter I am ready to let them go. Then there will be a radical solution.

- Tsygankov's contract with Dynamo expires in the summer. Igor Tsyganyk said that he may have already signed a preliminary contract with another club. How are things going with Tsygankov, are you negotiating a contract extension so that he does not leave for free?

- He could not sign a preliminary contract, as this violates all the regulations of FIFA and UEFA. His contract really ends in the summer, we will talk to him. The blackmail of his agents in the summer had no effect on me. I don't have to be scared that he'll leave for free.

I didn't see Tsygankov lose his motivation. Vitya wants to play Dynamo at the highest level. We are in a great relationship with him, constantly talking, joking. When we have a decision in one direction or another, we will announce it. Tsygankov is a Dynamo player and, I hope, he understands that he must leave, bringing some money to the club. If he does not understand this, then it means that he was brought up incorrectly.

Vitya plays a key role in the team. Without Tsygankov, we would have had no chance at all. Today, Dynamo is at least fighting, even though we are losing. To date, there is no replacement for Tsygankov in Dynamo, but I do not rule out that she will appear in the winter.

- What were the proposals for Tsygankov?

- What agents offered me for Tsygankov humiliates not even me, but the Dynamo club. In the summer, there was an offer from Girona with promises to Tsygankov that he would later play in Manchester City. I don't want to downplay Viti's merits, but you understand the level at which Manchester City plays and what kind of players there are in his position.

- What was the offer from Girona?

- They offered ten million, divided into five tranches of two million each for two years. I don’t even want to discuss such a ridiculous proposal for our leader and national team player.

If my vote was taken into account, I would support Shevchenko's candidacy in the UAF presidential elections

- Dynamo Ultras continue to protest, dispersing the topics "Dynamo without Lucescu" and "Dynamo without Surkis". What can you answer them?

- I don't want to answer anything to anyone. I respect all ultras and fans of our club. Many Dynamo ultras are at war. I wish them to return healthy and continue to scold me. Because without criticism there will be no progress.

But you need to separate criticism from sweeping criticism. "Dynamo without Surkis"? Okay, suggest an alternative then. I'll see who is ready to take on such a burden.

Football is a subsidized thing. If someone wants to manage better, bring money to the club. Until I see them. Three age groups of Dynamo are abroad in comfortable conditions, our youth team plays for Zorya, eight players represented our team in the Ukrainian U-17 team, which defeated Azerbaijan today — 5:2. I have nothing to blush for, I do everything for the development of football.

Those who write "Dynamo without Surkis" are not fighting, but sitting at home on the Internet. Recently, ultras Dynamo Maxim Yalovtsov died in the war. Dynamo immediately reacted and helped his family. I said if they feel even the slightest need for something, call me right away and I will help.

- On the website of the UAF, after the suspicion was handed over to Zapisotsky, a statement appeared in which there was a hint of your brother's involvement in this. That the allegedly current leadership of the UAF stopped the activities of the corruption schemes of the former leaders of the Federation, and this provoked them to take revenge. What can you say about this?

- I'm not going to comment on this. Today, my relations with the UAF have somehow leveled off thanks to the national team. If they hinted at my brother, then let them say it directly, and my brother will find an opportunity to answer them. My brother is a greater patriot than many who beat their chests.

- Did you watch today's press conference of Rukh President Grigory Kozlovsky?

- Yes. I can understand him. He speaks with his heart. Kozlovsky has built such a sports infrastructure that many will not be able to build even in the next century. I remember how last year he called me and said: “Your team has already played in the Champions League. Give in so that Rukh U-19 plays three matches in the Ukrainian championship and, perhaps, we will also make it to the UEFA Youth League.”

Well, tell me, who else would yield in my place? A unanimous decision was made to suspend the championship, and the youth championship should have been stopped in the same way. But I did not put a spoke in his wheels and said: "You have built so much that you really deserve to play in the UEFA Youth League." I understand that his heart aches for football.

What he voiced today are emotions. I had exactly the same emotions when I was recommended to sell or donate the club to someone. Maybe I would take a rest, but I love football and continue to finance Dynamo with my partners.

— Who are your partners?

- I have one partner - this is my brother. Today, Dynamo is financed only by the Surkis family.

— What do you think about the UAF elections? Do we need to change Pavelko, and doesn’t his rule look like a usurpation of power?

- Something definitely needs to be changed in football. Some clubs are rescheduling matches, others are not. They used to say that the calendar should be unshakable, and now someone is allowed to reschedule matches. We didn't play with Metalist today for one simple reason - the mayor's office forbade playing in Kyiv. I don't know yet where we will play with Metalist, we must first set a date.

- By rescheduling matches, do you mean Shakhtar?

- Yes. But today we give Shakhtar a discount on the fact that they have a chance to go further in the Champions League and bring points to Ukraine in the UEFA coefficients table. Therefore, we turn a blind eye to this.

— If Andriy Shevchenko ran for the presidency of the UAF, would you support him?

— Andriy Shevchenko I love, respect and believe that he is a true professional. If my vote was taken into account, I would support his candidacy. But my vote, like the votes of 16 Premier League clubs, unfortunately, does not count anywhere.

- Do you think he would cope with the work of the head of the UAF?

- I don't know this, you need to look. But first you need to find out if he has any desire to run at all, and then talk about it.

— Has your position in the telepool changed?

- Why did it happen? I fully agree with Aliyev, who complained that he could not watch the match between Shakhtar and Dynamo because he could not find it on Setant. I knew what would happen and warned in advance. What did we do wrong that we had to swear publicly and sort things out? We just want to show Ukrainians football for free.

Today, I will not be able to invite a coach of Lucescu's level to Dynamo. We are done with "Dynamo hearts"

— Let's talk a little about the Ukrainian team. Petrakov failed to complete the tasks and bring our team to the World Cup and the elite division of the League of Nations. Do you think it is necessary to change the coach of the national team?

- It seems to me that the national team should be left alone and not pulled once again. My opinion is this. If there is a suitable candidate, Rebrov or some other top coach, then perhaps Petrakov needs to be replaced.

But I think that Petrakov did a very good job in the last cycle, and we didn’t get to the World Championships simply because of bad luck. Fans who are dissatisfied with the result may have questions for Petrakov, just as they are dissatisfied with me and Lucescu now.

Yes, Petrakov did not complete the task, but he found himself in a situation where a war was going on in the country and it was impossible to qualitatively prepare a team. If we were all at home, then Dynamo would be better prepared.

If the UAF fails to reach an agreement with Rebrov, then I would not change anything in their place, or, if they have the opportunity, I would invite some outstanding foreign coach. I know for sure that today I will not be able to invite a coach at the level of Lucescu to Dynamo. Everything else will be experiments. We are done with "Dynamo hearts".

- Forever and ever?

- We do not classify Rebrov and Shevchenko as "Dynamo hearts". These are professional European coaches who are in demand not only in Dynamo. And those who were in demand only in Dynamo, as they say, were thrown into the dustbin of history, because they were not invited anywhere else. I admit it was my mistake.

- Why did you trust "Dynamo hearts" for so long?

— I believed that they could do something with the team. As you can see, I was wrong. This won't happen again.

- So we can't wait for Milevsky at the head of Dynamo?

- Definitely not a head coach. I consider Milevsky only as the new president of the club.

Andrey PISKUN