Vitaliy Sivkov leaves Dynamo Kyiv

The news that the first vice-president of FC Dynamo (Kyiv) is leaving the club seemed at first improbable - for the last thirty years Vitaliy Sivkov has been a key figure in the Dynamo economy. Simply put - not a single issue was resolved without him, his signature is on millions of documents. Therefore we decided to contact Vitaliy Sivkov himself to clarify the situation.

- Yes, I am indeed leaving Dynamo. The main reason is my health. I'm in my seventies and it's time to think about rest. But it does not mean that Dynamo leaves me. As every Kiev citizen of my generation, I've been supporting Dynamo players as long as I remember. And when I was invited to the club, it was not just a new responsible job - it was the fulfillment of a dream! Although I did not have to appear on the pitch wearing Dynamo jersey the whole life of the club passed through my heart! I knew all the players and coaches of the team for the last thirty years personally, trying to help each of them in every possible way. So that they could only think about football. Obviously, I did not do it alone - the main people in the club all those years were brothers Grigory and Igor Surkis. They have always trusted me, and I tried to justify that trust. I understand football fans who do not need to know how many people's labour ensures the performance of their favourite team. I knew those people, worked with them, and I am grateful to them for all these thirty years. We were a team and we worked for the same cause!

- Tell me, how does it feel to be 24 hours a day, without any breaks and days off, to be aware of all the affairs of the club, to be ready to instantly solve the problem, no matter where and when it occurs? And so for thirty years...

- Yes, it didn't add to health and it didn't save nerves. But it was the other way round! The understanding that the cause of Kyiv Dynamo depended on your decision gave me strength and inspiration in the most difficult situations. So, on the one hand, I gave my heart and soul to Dynamo club and on the other hand, Dynamo gave a meaning to my life which I could not imagine without the club and still do not. I don't know when the time will come, when I will not worry about Dynamo anymore. Maybe that time will not come at all. For me Dynamo is not the goals scored, points gained and titles won, but the people who made it possible. All without exception - from the world-famous players and coaches to the humble workers tending the football fields at the club centre. It is these people, with whom I have worked for all three decades, that are dearest to me. Therefore, I want to thank all of them. To all of them without exception, no matter how their future lives have been, no matter how difficult our relationship has been. We all did a great and good thing together. I believe that after us, this work will be worthily continued. Yes, I'm leaving Dynamo Kyiv as the place of work. But Dynamo will always be in my life. Because it has always been there!