Dynamo goalkeeper Ruslan Neshcheret in an interview with the official club website summed up the first part of the season, remembered the nose injury, spoke about his own father in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and also shared his plans for winter vacation.
Ruslan Neshcheret. Photo: D. Rudenko- Ruslan, is the current third place for Dynamo an acceptable result, given how the first part of the season went for our team?
- Of course, this situation with third place cannot be acceptable for us, since a club like Dynamo Kyiv always sets only the highest goals for itself, and for us there is only first place in the table. There are always chances, so we will work hard and believe that the spring part of the season in the championship will turn out better for us.
- Dynamo started the championship terribly - with two defeats. Was it unusual to see the team in last place in the standings?
- Of course, it was somehow uncomfortable after such a start of the championship. Nobody understood why this was happening. But in the course of the championship, the situation was corrected and, gradually rising in the standings, return to the fight for the highest places.
- This season you played 10 matches - eight in the domestic Premier League and two in the Europa League. Is it possible to say that each subsequent fight gives confidence?
— Yes, confidence comes when you play, so I can say that it’s easier for me with every match, and teammates help me in everything.
- How often do you have individual conversations with goalkeeping coach Mikhail Mikhailov?
- After each fight, I have an individual theoretical lesson with Mikhail Leonidovich. Watching the match, discussing what was good and what was not, trying to improve my game.
- Did you have any conversations with the head coach Mircea Lucescu?
— Lucescu may suggest something in training or before the game, but I have more dialogue with the goalkeeping coach.
“You also had to miss a few weeks due to a nose injury. Was it a recurrence of the injury that you received at the winter training camp, or do the injuries have nothing to do with each other?
— I got a relapse in training. There were many blows and I got very close to the attacker. He did not see this and hit me in the face at close range. At first I did not understand that something bad had happened, continued training, and after the session I felt pain in my nose. I looked at myself in the mirror - and he is a little crooked (smiles).
- In general, how much do such injuries affect the goalkeepers' performance in the future, upon returning to the field?
- There are certain fears that it will not “fly in” again, but this is only the first week after returning. Then it's much easier.
- This championship teams have to play under unusual conditions - in particular, at any moment the game can be interrupted for an indefinite period due to air raid alerts. Does it somehow affect football players?
“It gets a little scary when the air raid starts. Not even for yourself, but immediately think about your family so that everyone is safe. It is most important.
- Dynamo had one such match - in Lviv with Rukh. What did you do in the shelter until the game resumed?
- We talked with the guys, some watched the news on the phone.
— How are your relatives and friends? Is everyone safe? Is there someone from the family who stood up to defend the Motherland?
— In general, the family is safe. My father has been serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine for 20 years. He met a full-scale invasion in Kyiv, and then immediately went to defend his homeland from the invaders.
— What are your nearest plans, where do you spend your vacation?
— I will go to the mountains with my girlfriend, have a little rest and start preparing for the second part of the season
— Do you follow the World Cup? Who are you rooting for?
— Yes, I watch every match. I was rooting for Portugal, but, unfortunately, she flew out.
