Director of "Alexandria" Dmitriy Kitaev spoke about the preparation of the team for the new season, as well as about its personnel restructuring.
- Dmitriy Sergeevich, the team is already working together with Ruslan Rotan at the training camp? Has the coach returned from the "youth"?
- Yes, Ruslan Petrovych is already at the club, together with the staff, everyone is working. We have a training camp at the base in "Alexandria". There are enough fields. We play friendlies with Ukrainian teams. I won`t tell you much, we don`t broadcast our friendlies now, it`s the wish of the coaching staff.
- Is Ruslan Petrovych tired after the youth Euro, or on the contrary, inspired by what happened?
- Ruslan Petrovych is now fully immersed in the work of Oleksandriya. There is a working process, preparation for the championship, and his mood is the same. I do not see the extremes you are asking about, neither devastation, nor euphoria.
- "Alexandria", as before last season, set the task of getting into the European Cup?
- Of course, in every championship we work on getting into the European cups. Before the start of the season there will be a meeting of the president with the coaching staff and the team, the task will be discussed more specifically. But the fight for the highest possible place is our priority.
- "Alexandria" played under the leadership of Rotan only half a season. But the "youth" has been working on the principles of Roman Petrovich since 2018. Is your team now approaching stylistically to the national team?
- Ruslan Petrovich is working on it. The official games will give the answer. Right now, there are a lot of players on viewing. And there will be more. There is still a lot of unplayed players. My point of view may be subjective. Let's wait for the fans to say - "Oh, this is Ruslan Petrovic's style!".
- This summer is already the second transfer window for Rotan. Is it more convenient to pick up players in the summer between seasons?
- There will be specifically those players Ruslan Petrovych wants to see. We will see how we work on the market. Everything is in the process. There are and will be more players at the screening. They come and go, it is a creative process. It's too early to talk about the results. I think, the whole August we will continue to work in this direction.
- Many people say that last season "Alexandria" to some extent sacrificed the result of the season for the sake of the changes Ruslan Rotan is making. Is this true?
- There is trust from the club management and there is an understanding of what Ruslan Petrovych wants to build. And there is faith, so we will wait for it to be realised. Everyone understands that we need some time. It will not be possible to radically rebuild the team in six months.
We can understand the emotions of our fans, when there are results that they do not like. But it takes time to rebuild. God willing, everything will work out. And "Alexandria" will please the fans with its game. And they will not say about "Alexandria" that it is a team of "hit-and-run" and so on. So, I would like to note, they said not only about us.
If the fans want constructive football, then we need to be a little patient. And approach with a cold head. I understand that the fans only want to win. But that's not how it works.
- So, the style is even worth the temporary loss in results?
- Style is definitely needed. We want "Alexandria" to play quality football. The president of our club Serhiy Kuzmenko has always emphasised this. This is a process, we need to go to it. With some players may not work out, with others, let's say, on the contrary, everything will work out. We believe and trust the coaching staff.
Anton Terekhov