Anton Tsarenko is taking his first steps at the adult football level. The Dynamo midfielder has made his debut for the first team this season, played in European competitions and scored a goal in the UPL. The 18-year-old midfielder has been knocking on the door of Dynamo's first team more and more persistently. He could become an important player in the team's attack for the foreseeable future.
Anton Tsarenko. Photo: fcdynamo.comTsarenko has passed all stages of the Dynamo Academy and played for the U-19 team at the age of 16. One of the leaders of the Ukraine national team in 2004, and was called up to the senior national team for a year.
- The match against Shakhtar was your first Ukrainian 'classic'. What are your emotions?
- My impressions are good. Even on the bench I was in the whirlpool of game episodes. When you take to the field - there is no time to "bounce". You need to get results straight away, create more tempo. I found myself in the episode. Caught the ball and earned a free-kick, which resulted in a goal.
"Shakhtar are always tough opponents. These matches are special, both at the senior and youth teams' level. The whole country follows them.
- What do you think of Shakhtar's level? Do they deservedly lead in the league?
- To date, the teams in the top group are more or less on par. The outcome of the games depends on many factors: individual skill, desire to win, team play and so on.
- Taras Stepanenko was your team-mate. You earned a free-kick, stepped up the game. What was it like to act against such a skillful and experienced holding midfielder?
- Stepanenko is at Shakhtar, Serhiy Sidorchuk plays at this position for us. These are men with great experience playing for our giants and the national team. Of course, it was not easy to come on against Taras. It was necessary to give the first accurate pass, make a good touch to have confidence. Then I managed to get a free-kick, which helped level the score.
- How did you evolve in the first team?
- Last spring I started to participate in the training process of the first team. I made my debut for the first team in a charity match against Estonian Flora. I went to a training camp with the team to Switzerland in summer. Mister said I have not reached the first team level yet. Yet I made my debut in the Champions League qualifier against Benfica. I have been playing for U-19 for half a year. I performed well during the winter training camp. Lucescu has noticed my progress. I am given chances that I must use. No indulgence. I work along with everyone else.
- How do you communicate with Lucescu?
- Through his assistant Emil Karas. He is always with him, offering advice, translation, giving instructions. Mircea always talks to us. He can stop a training session if someone is doing something wrong. Especially it concerns young players. But then he will explain what should have been done in a particular situation.
- You have already scored your debut goal in the UPL. Did you sleep after the match against Minaya?
- I did. My childhood dream was to debut for the first Dynamo team, score a goal. Yes, of course, perhaps, I was lucky (Tsarenko was in front of the rival's goal after a ricochet). But such luck must be earned by one's labour in training. Then there was my chance to prove myself, because Vitaliy Buyalskiy received a three-match suspension after the match against Dnipro 1. I was in the right place at the right time. Emotions ran high.
- Who was the first to congratulate you?
- My parents called after the game. They congratulated me on the first goal, but said that I`ve cut my head a few times. Therefore, you should avoid such mistakes. You should also look at other actions in the game, always improve.
- How do the old-timers treat you? Do they help you or treat you like a competitor?
- When I came here, they were looking at me closely. Everyone on the team is very good. There is nothing wrong with a sense of humour.
- You are 162 cm tall. How important is anthropometry for football?
- Height is not so important in football. In today's game, speed of decision-making, vision of the field, thinking are more important. I do not feel that I am not tall enough. It's all psychology. I know my strengths through which I show my level of play.
- At what position does Mircea Lucescu count on you?
- Mister is trying me at various positions. I trust his experience. And I will play where I can bring the most benefit to the team.
- Shovkovs'kyi became the acting coach. Has anything changed?
- Oleksandr Volodymyrovych is always in touch with Mister. More attention and time has been given to standard positions and drills on completions.
- Vitaliy Buyalskiy plays at your position. Serhiy Buletsa has all the chances to return in the summer. Bogdan Lednev might be used here. Aren`t you afraid of competition?
- Competition is normal. When you come to the first team, it is clear that the level of players is high. You ask yourself: "Why am I worse? I can and want to play". Competition is good for me, as well as for my partner. Only time and work on yourself will put everything in its place.
- If there is no match practice next season, will you think about the lease?
- Yes, I`ve thought about it many times. The season will end and it will be clear whether Dynamo count on me in the first team. I'm ready to go on loan to gain experience in the adult football and return as a more experienced, more confident player. If they reckon I will prove my ambitions.
- You play for the first team as number 37. Why?
- I did not choose. It just happened. There was qualification for the leagues. I was on the first team. The administrator called. He said that they had declared for the first team under number 37. My first reaction was to call back and ask if there were any other numbers. Then I decided not to. It's a good thing they did.
- Do you need to earn the trump numbers 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or can you just take them?
- You need to earn it. I always played at No 5 at the academy. Although I might have gone for the number 10.
- What are the main factors in the transition from youth to adult football?
- The most important factor is psychology. When you come to an adult team, it's as if you know everyone. But there is no attitude towards you yet. There is a kind of stiffness. You gotta be yourself. Show your best qualities.
- Igor Kostiuk, tutor of Dynamo youth team compares you to Xavi and Iniesta. Are these players close to you?
- Yes. I have always supported Barcelona. I used to follow them when Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi played there.
I don't know why he compared me to them. Perhaps because of my height, or perhaps because of my position in the middle of the pitch or because of the similarities in the game. By the way, I'm also impressed with Luka Modric. I'm small, so the small ones stand out more.
Lorenzo Insigne played for Napoli and the Italian national team. He is a legend at the club and won the Euros with the national team.
- Kostiuk has been at the helm of U-19 for almost 6 years. Many first-team players have passed through his hands. What is his specialty?
- He finds an individual approach to each player. Feels the player. Adds resilience and faith in himself. He explains his ideas in detail. What you do correctly on the field and where you make mistakes. He can ask why you played a certain way in a certain episode. This is a great plus for young players. Look at how many players have passed through Igor Vladimirovich in the first team. It's all an indication of his qualifications.
He invited me to the U-19 when I had a year of appearances for the Academy. He took me from U-16 to the youth team. I thought I would be a substitute and I went straight into the starting lineup in the first game against Olimpic. I was pleasantly surprised. All this gives you motivation and makes you stronger.
- Is Kostiuk a coach for young boys, or can he also be successful in adult football?
- Igor is the kind of coach who is motivated to grow as a coach. He has a desire to move to the adult level, to develop, to move forward, to achieve success at the new stage of his coaching career. I do not know if it will be Dynamo or any other club. But I have no doubts about his qualifications and prospects.
- Last season Dynamo were called one of the favourites for the UEFA Youth League. Could they really win the tournament?
- Undoubtedly. Last year's youth team could have reached the final four and fought for the victory. We had every chance, but the war took its toll.
- Against which team was it most difficult to play in the UEFA Youth League?
- Against Benfica at home, when we won 4-0. It was pretty hard in the first half. It was my first game in this tournament. And it was in it that I felt the high level of the teams.
- Do you follow any of your former rivals?
- I liked two Portuguese - defender Antonio Silva from Benfica and holding midfielder Dario Essugo from Sporting. Both are now playing for senior teams.
- You have said that you are fans of Barcelona. What were your impressions when you played against them in the UEFA Youth League?
- There was some nervousness before each game. This is normal. After the whistle it disappears and you are in the game. It was hard to play against Barça, we felt the Spanish tiki-taka. We wanted to show ourselves both as a team and individually. I think we did it.
- At the time, there was a lot of talk about the talent and perspective of Samba Diallo. What is he like as a person and a footballer?
- I remember when he joined the team - such a funny, humble guy. Now he has changed a bit. He became more mature - he`s 20 years old now. When you give him a pass, he can carry, beat him. I always feel comfortable playing with him. It was hard to communicate with him because of the language barrier. Especially on the football field, when you need to shout something, or give him a pass. But then, we started speaking the language of football and understanding each other at a glance.
- Igor Gorbach. He was given big promises, but so far he is not able to play. What is going on with him?
- He joined the youth team six months earlier than me and immediately started scoring. I was happy for him.
Gorbach is not the type who will doubt himself. He has all the qualities to be a successful striker and play in the first team. Perhaps, there is a little lack of concentration, somewhere his emotions get in the way.
- Who are your friends at Dynamo?
- I communicate with all of them. I communicate with the young ones most of all - Nazar Voloshyn, Navin Malysh, Anton Bol, Oleksandr Iatsyk, Denys Ignatenko.
- The Ukraine national team failed to qualify to the Euros in 2004. We won three matches in Sweden in the first qualifying round, but lost three times in the Elite round. What did not work in Spain?
- We had staffing losses compared to the first round of qualification. Oleg Fedor, Yegor Yarmolyuk, Oleksandr Pastukh were injured. Maybe we wanted to prove ourselves more individually than as a team. They wanted to prove themselves, forgetting about team performance. Such a situation in the country, we should have got at least one win somewhere. We won twice in the course of the match 1-0. Perhaps we lacked concentration.
The defeat from Luxembourg was very painful. But then we pulled ourselves together. We thought that two wins would get us through, but it didn't happen.
The matches in Sweden were the first official matches for the national team in 2004. The qualification for Euro U-17 was cancelled because of the covids. Then we tried to go to Kiev, but again we had positive tests for coronavirus. It is a shame, because we had a good team. We could have qualified. Perhaps the fact that the opponents were more played, assembled more often, influenced the result.
- Serhiy Nagornyak is considered a specialist, who knows how to work with young players. What is his speciality?
- He worked with young players at Dnipro. He knows how to deliver information in a simple and understandable way; he prioritizes only the players' football qualities. I am grateful to Serhiy Mykolayovych that he always trusted me and called me up to the national team.
- Tell us about your football development. How did you get in the first team of Dynamo?
- At the age of 6 my parents took me to the Dynamo Academy. When I came, the ball was up to my knees. Then it turned into a whirlwind. My first coach was Yuriy Yastrebinskyy. I keep in touch with all coaches. I am grateful to everyone with whom I worked. Each of them gave me something new, made me stronger.
- Are you the only one on the first team from 2004?
- Yes. There is not much from recruiting to the junior team. There are temptations, competition, adolescence. I had it myself. I wanted a lot of things. It was hard to concentrate. But I decided to set myself the right priorities.
- Former Dynamo methodologist Guillermo Samso speaks highly of your talent. What did the work with the Argentine give you?
- Guillermo brought a positive atmosphere in the team, a sense of lightness. The most important thing he gave me was his attitude to football. Before training, everyone is always focused, in the mood. He asks: "Why are you so sad? You have to go out on the football pitch with a chuckle." When I started doing that, I started enjoying the game even more.
- Do you know Spanish?
- No. With Samso, I learned some phrases in Spanish, but no more. I really want to learn it. One of my goals is to become fluent in foreign languages.
- Do you keep in touch with him now?
- A little. When Argentina won the World Cup, he sent a photo with Messi. And we congratulated each other on the victory.
- Is it true that you graduated with a gold medal?
- No. I did well in school, but nothing more.
- Did you study somewhere after school?
- At the National University of Physical Education and Sports. I majored in coaching. I'm a full-time student. But I have an individual schedule. Probably, I`ll become a coach someday. But, in general, this knowledge won't be superfluous to me.
- Tell us about your family.
- My grandfather was a football player. He didn't play at a high level. He instilled love for football in me. I am very grateful to my parents, who signed me up. Maybe they didn't see much point in it at the time. Believed in me. Now I made it to the first team. I owe my work and success to them. It's not just about football. They help me and support me in everything.
- What is Anton Tsarenko like outside football?
- There are not many days off. Usually one free day a week. You want to do a lot, but not enough time. My parents are the closest thing to me. I try to spend more time with them. With my friends too, if I have a minute, I always make time for them. They mean a lot to me. I like table tennis. I can go for a bike ride. I like movies. Sometimes I read. Now it's football, the institute - not enough time.
- Do they recognize you on the street?
- No, they don't. Sometimes, except after matches, they ask for a joint photo or an autograph.
- How do you see yourself in 4-5 years?
- First and foremost I want to progress and improve myself. To become a leading Dynamo player or get in the top leagues and get a call-up to the Ukraine national football team.
Sergiy TISHCHENKO
