Former Dynamo goalkeeper Denys Boyko, who joined Polissia, spoke about the peculiarities of Yuriy Kalitvintsev's approach to team building and named the most important features of a successful and strong team.
Denys Boyko. Photo: polissyafc.com- Tell us about your first days at Polissya, what were they like?
- As for impressions, they are very positive. I know almost all of the guys, the team is very nice and close-knit. Having such a strong and cohesive team is the key to success. I am very interested in working out at training. I can't say that this is something new for me. But it is, first of all, a new challenge, a new team. But the team is very good, so it is very easy to adapt, to find a common language with the players. Everything is perfect, everything is good. We are working hard.
- Why did you decide to choose Polissia? What were the selection criteria?
- At some point, my family and I decided that we wanted to stay in Ukraine. This was one of the guiding aspects why we chose Polissia. Why do I say we - because my family's opinion is very important to me about where we will live, where we will be, where my son will go to school. Zhytomyr is not far from Kyiv. This is probably one of the most important factors.
I was very impressed by the project that is being done in the Polissia team. The way the club president sees the team's development, what he does for the city, for this team. When I first saw the base, the first thing I thought was that it was something modern and European. I've been to European clubs, seen the facilities there, seen the conditions for the players, the pitches, the recovery facilities. I can say that this is something very, very cool. Few teams in Europe have such conditions for work and development. This is another factor why I chose Polissia.
And another important factor is the coaching staff. I've known Yuriy Kalitvintsev for a long time, since my time at Dynamo-2. We called him up and he said: "We are waiting for you". For me, this was the most important thing, because when a coach talks to a player and says that the team is waiting for him, it is very important. First of all, for the player. When the head coach expresses some kind of trust. For me, working with goalkeeping coach Mikhail Fedunov is very interesting. He is quite young on the coaching path, let's say, but very progressive. It is very interesting to work with him. I always find something new for myself in training. Although I am not a young player, let's say, I try to find something interesting and develop.
All these factors were very important to me. I can single out some of them, but I've combined them all into one.
- You won all the tournaments in Ukraine, became the champion of Turkey, played in the Europa League final, have experience in the national team, and also played in Spain. You have an incredible experience. Can you tell the fans how you can share this experience with others in practice? How does it happen?
- During the training process on the football pitch, I try to give suggestions and somehow stimulate young players with my actions. If there is a free pause, I try to talk and tell them. Of course, the coaching staff makes adjustments and gives suggestions at every training session. And on my own, I try to talk as much as possible. The more you talk, the more you are in the game, you don't switch off, you are in constant communication, constant movement. This is about training, but I believe that experience should be transferred beyond the football field. On the field, everyone has a vision and style. Well, the coaching staff gives explanations about the actions on the field and you need to listen to them more.
Off the pitch, I really like to talk to young players. This will be very honest, because I will say that when I was a young player, there were few people who talked to young people. I won't say that it was that hard, but let me say this banal phrase: the stronger ones survived, the stronger ones achieved results, the stronger ones developed. You had to make a name for yourself, a result, and the love of the fans. Now, I think the situation has changed. Previously, there were no such direct tips or even patronage. Nowadays, times are changing. And I probably wish that when I was 18, 17 years old, I had more communication with experienced adults. I wish they would have given me some guidance in life. Because a football field is a football field, but it is equally important how you build your life, how you build your time. All this together is called professionalism. That's why it's extremely important to communicate with young players. Of course, it's their choice to accept these tips or not. But I believe that one of my main tasks is to show and tell. To tell not only what to do on the football field, but also how to behave in everyday life, how to treat such professional qualities as nutrition, rest, recovery. These are the things that, like a puzzle, make up the whole picture of a professional footballer.
For example, now a foreigner has arrived. He really needs the support of the whole team. Because he is alone, he is far from home. I have been in many teams with a lot of foreigners. When you have colleagues with whom you speak the same language, it's much easier. But when you are alone, when you don't understand our language yet, when you come to another country with a different culture, and even more so when our country is at war. Now we all have to support our legionnaire, our newcomer, as a team. We need to communicate with him as much as possible so that he can adapt to our country and our championship as quickly as possible. This is one of the features of a strong team that can win big.
- Denys, the fans, in particular, have high expectations of Polissia even after your arrival. What would you say to our fans before the season?
- First of all, I want to say that expectations are normal. The team has ambitions, which is very cool. The fans also have ambitions, especially as our team is now getting stronger before Polissia's first start in the Premier League. I want to tell all our fans to be patient. Believe in the team, regardless of the result. Because belief in the team, both in success and failure, is a very important factor for the team. And the team feels it. And not only in good times, but also in times when things don't work out. That is why I would like to say to the fans - always stay with the team, support the team, believe in us. And we, for our part, will do everything possible and impossible to ensure that every game moment brings us closer to victory in every match. To make you proud of us. We will try to win every game, to do our best for you. We play for those who come to the stadium.
We also play for those who are now in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who now give us the opportunity to go out on the football field and do our favourite thing. These are our heroes and that's why we play for them. I know a lot of guys who are defending our country at the zero line and in other parts of our country.
We play for all these people. And the Polissia team will do everything for you, for the fans, for the Armed Forces. To make you proud of us.
