Ihor Kostiuk: "Our top priority is for the players to progress"

Dynamo U-19 head coach Ihor Kostiuk commented on the youth championship match against Ingulets, in which the White and Blues won 2-1.

Ihor Kostiuk (photo: fcdynamo.com)

- How satisfied are you with the training camp and the quality of the friendly matches?

- The training camp turned out to be a little bit blurry, there were some unplanned games. Not everything was accomplished out of what was planned. The reasons were different - injuries and illnesses. In general, the conditions were good, the pitches were of good quality, but at the end of the training camp we failed to play the squad for the reasons I mentioned earlier.

- For the players who missed the end of the training camp, how long will it take to get back in shape?

- You saw it yourself today - some players played a half, some got a little more playing time. I think everyone should be at full strength for the next match.

- Didn't two quick goals relax the team in today's match?

- In principle, no. In the second half, the players who had less game practice at the end of the training camp came on the field, so it affected the quality of our game.

- Horbach scored a beautiful goal. Is that what a striker should do?

- Ihor should have scored three more today... Of course, it's the striker's job to score goals, to be always on the cutting edge. Plus, he does a lot of work, and when he comes out of defense and into attack, he has to grab the balls in front. This is the model of play we use, and he has to fulfill his functions.

- Your team has been replenished with several newcomers...

- Yes, these are midfielder Danylo Yushko and forward Denys Sharay. The guys proved themselves at the training camp. Today we are aware of our personnel problems, so we are selecting, looking for reinforcements. I think these players will be useful to us.

- Will Naveen Malysh train with the first team now?

- Yes, he will. He missed the end of the training camp due to illness, and today, by the decision of the first team coaching staff, he played one half to get game practice. The same applies to Yatsyk and Bol.

- "Dynamo enters the second part of the season behind Rukh and Shakhtar in the standings. How difficult will the fight for the championship be?

- In every game, our first priority is for the players to progress. If you look at the first team, there are ten players who played in the UEFA Youth League a year and a half ago. This is the main thing for us. Of course, we want to win, because every game is like a lesson at school for the players: they have learned, memorized and implemented it on the field. It all depends on the quality of performance, and each match is a small step for their development.

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