The legendary footballer of Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukrainian national team, Andriy Yarmolenko, gave his first interview after returning to his home club.
Andriy Yarmolenko. Photo: fcdynamo.com- We are very glad to see you at Dynamo. The video of you putting on the Dynamo shirt again has over a million views. I think that your return to Dynamo is very important not only for the fans, but also for the team and for you personally. Is it really so?
- Of course, I am very happy to return to Dynamo Kyiv. For me, this is my home, this team has given me a lot, it's where I became who I am. I appreciate it very much, I am grateful to every employee of the club, to the president, so for me it is really a homecoming. When a child leaves his parents and then, after a while, returns to them, I have about the same feelings now.
- You had your first substantive conversation about returning to Dynamo exactly a year ago. They say that you had already boarded a plane to Switzerland, where the White and Blues held a training camp... Why didn't it work out then?
- There were reasons for that. Now I think it's not worth talking about it. It was probably the wrong time to come back. Now I believe that this moment has come, so it happened.
- There is also information that you personally wanted to join Dynamo in the winter, but you were not released from Al Ain...
- Yes, I was constantly in touch with Ihor Mykhailovych, we talked about it. We talked about it, but I had a valid contract and couldn't do anything about it. We waited until the summer, when it became clear that I could sign a contract as a free agent. I didn't even consider all the clubs that came to me with offers, I wasn't interested in them because I was determined to come back home.
- What countries were these options from?
- From different countries. But I'm saying that both my agent and my family saw what I wanted, where I was drawn to. And I made it clear to everyone that I was not interested in any options, no matter what money was offered.
- From the top championships?
- There were talks about clubs from Italy and Spain, but I didn't even consider them.
- Many legionnaires don't want to return to Ukraine from abroad, and foreign players don't want to come to play in our country. Did anyone dissuade you from joining Dynamo?
- No, no one talked me out of it, because my friends, my family and everyone who knows me well understood that once I made up my mind, it would be very difficult to change my mind. This is my decision, my life, my career, and I am personally responsible for everything I do, because I am an adult, I have three children, and I am responsible for my family - and it is up to me to decide what to do and how to do it.
- A few years ago, in an interview, you said that if Ihor Surkis called you and said, "We need you," you would sit down and think about it. That's why we made a presentation video in which the president gets on a video call with you and says: "Son, it's time to go home". This phrase became a catchphrase for several weeks to come. I suppose that's how the negotiations about your return to Dynamo went?
- To be honest, these were the easiest negotiations in my life. We just called each other, he asked if I was transferring, and I said yes, as we had agreed. I understand that now is the time in my career when I need to think about the future, because I don't have much time left to play at the highest level. That's why I'm now at the age of 33, when I can still give something to Dynamo. I didn't want to come back at the age of 36, when you realise you have no strength and you've come to finish your career well, where everyone knows you, loves you, appreciates you. And I wanted to come to the team and give something to it. Time will tell if I can do that. But the fact that I will give all the strength I have at the moment is one hundred per cent.
- People want to see the same Yarmolenko who left Dynamo six years ago...
- For me, 33 years is just a number in my passport. And if you are a professional footballer, you follow your recovery, you are professional about what you do, you know your body, you understand what you need to do to be in the best possible condition for the game, then I don't see any problems with that. And there are many examples - just look at Messi, Ronaldo, Modric, Benzema, etc. So these are all stereotypes. In our country, people like to say that after 30, you're too old to run. Of course, over the years, you lose certain qualities, the same speed, but at the same time, you gain experience, you look at football differently, you feel it. And this experience often means much more than speed, shot, dribbling, because it is very important in football. But everyone has their own opinion, so there are no problems. Now the most important thing for me is to go through the training camp, prepare for the new season, be in the best possible condition and do everything in my power to bring the championship back to Kyiv.
- In your personal opinion, which Yarmolenko is stronger as a player - the one of 2017, when he joined Borussia Dortmund, or the current one?
- The Yarmolenko of six years ago had some strong qualities, while the current one has other ones. Of course, I've already said this, over the years your game changes, you lose speed and something else. But your thinking on the football field gets better over the years. That's why it's hard to compare... If I had already finished my career after the two years I signed a contract for, then we could talk and evaluate. But if I see that I'm not up to the level of Dynamo Kyiv, we'll shake hands with the president, and I'll think about what I'll do next. I am not an enemy to myself and I do not want to be a burden to the team. The only thing I can say for sure is that I will give my best on the pitch.
- Do you feel like a Dynamo legend?
- No, I don't. It's fashionable now to call every player who ends his career or is close to it a legend. But I don't feel like one.
- But you are one of the best scorers in the club's history...
- Let the fans decide that. For me, there is the past, when I played at Dynamo, and now there is the present, and I need to prove everything anew to myself, my partners, coaches, and fans. And the fans decide who the legend is. I feel like the same footballer as all the other guys who work at the training camp. I also know that I am wearing the shirt of the best team in Ukraine, and I feel pressure, because our fans need a result.
- You probably wouldn't have made the decision to move without talking to the head coach. I know that Mircea Lucescu got in touch with you via WhatsApp. What did you talk about and what did you promise the head coach?
- Yes, we talked, but those conversations lasted a maximum of five minutes. I had to understand whether the head coach needed me, in what capacity he saw me, what his requirements for players in my position were. But for myself, I decided that I see the potential of this team, that with the players we have now, the team can show completely different results than last season. I see that together we can change this and achieve better results, so I decided to come back.
- At one time, the media reported that Shakhtar were considering your return to Ukraine to join their team. Was it really true and, in general, could it have happened?
- Of course not. It could have happened only at the beginning of my career, when there was interest from both Dynamo and Shakhtar. Only then could it have happened. But over the years, after I played at Dynamo and was the team captain, I simply had no right to move there, because I am a Dynamo player. At the same time, I respect both Shakhtar and their players.
- Maksym Dyachuk was very impressed from the first time he met you. Do you understand how important your responsibility is as a mentor and coach for young players?
- Of course, there are a lot of young players at Dynamo now, and I try to help them. I don't shout at anyone or kick them if they lose the ball. I just try to help the guys with my advice, I try to work to the best of my ability so that they see that I didn't come here to play a number or to end my career in a good way. I came here to work and win. I want to show that. Of course, I am pleased that they listen to me. I believe that our young players have very good prospects. The most important thing is that they work hard, don't stop and understand what kind of team they represent.
- You've been back at Dynamo for over a week now. During this time, has there been an episode when any of the young players turned to you personally for advice?
- I try to approach them more myself, because I understand that the guys are probably a bit shy. They need time to realise that I am open to everyone and ready to help if someone needs it. If I see that I have something to suggest and it might help, I come up and say it. And, of course, I look at the reaction of the young player.
- I really like the fact that young people in the team communicate with experienced players, they can joke about some everyday or football topics. Does this microclimate contribute to the team's success on the pitch?
- Of course it does! The most important thing is respect for each other. Just as the seniors should respect the juniors, the juniors should respect the seniors. We are all on the same team, we joke around, and it's normal. Of course, the younger ones should respect the older ones.
- Oleksandr Karavayev said the following about you: "Yes, Andriy is a star, but at the same time a simple and open person. Perhaps a legend, but he is still a human being"...
- I can say the same about him. I am very glad that he stayed at Dynamo. I think it's a plus for both him and the team.
No matter how much money you have, no matter what you achieve, the most important thing is that you must always remain a good person. That's how my parents raised me. And that's how I try to go through life and raise my children.
- Karavaev said that he called you when he was thinking about signing a new contract. I also heard that you called Sydorchuk and Buyalsky after the end of last season, and you talked about the future of Dynamo. Did everyone already understand that you were coming back and you started to build this microclimate?
- I had to understand which players were staying and which ones wanted to leave the team, who had what plans for the future. So, of course, we talked to the guys. As for Sashko, whether I advised him to extend his contract with Dynamo, he is an adult and decided for himself.
I told them the same words as I told you today during the interview - I see that we can win the championship. But it was up to them to decide whether to stay, they are all adults, they all have families, so they had to decide for themselves.
- Before your transfer, Shaparenko said he was ready to give you the number 10 shirt. A few days ago, he offered you the number 10 again, but you refused. Why?
- Because the number doesn't play football. I'm grateful to the guys for their offer, but I don't see the point in me playing under the number 10, 7 or 70. If these numbers were free, I would probably take one of them. But they are occupied, and I just said that they should give me any number that is free. They gave me number 21 for the duration of the training camp, saying that I have time to choose a number by the time we apply for the season. Many thanks to the guys for what they wanted to do. But for me, the most important thing is that I'm back home, I see a lot of friends around me. And the number on my shirt is not so important to me.
- Have you had any conversations with the coaching staff about the possibility of playing other positions?
- Of course, we are in touch with the coaching staff. The coaching staff also knows what positions I can play. It's not a problem for me to play as a striker if the team needs me to. It's up to the head coach to decide. It's not a problem for me.
- Do you write and eat with your right hand?
- Yes, I do.
- But in football, your working foot is left... How did it happen?
- How do I know (laughs). It just happened in life. Nobody taught me how to do it.
- A few years ago, you said that you associated your future with a coaching career. However, Ihor Surkis publicly stated that after the end of your contract you would become the club's sporting director. Why did you decide to change your future career path?
- Because I want to give something new to Dynamo Kyiv. I see what I can offer. So far, we have agreed on this. If something changes during these two years, I might change my mind.
- Do you plan to take any courses to develop in this direction during your playing career?
- Don't worry about it. I'm already studying. But it's too early to talk about it. Of course, you watch how people work in England and Germany, and you learn too.
- Do you take criticism from the outside?
- To be honest, not really. Of course, you still read and see something, but I don't need it to decide whether I played well or badly - I understand it perfectly well myself.
- Did the criticism from the German and British media have any impact on your career in Europe?
- Every footballer has both criticism and positive moments in his career, and journalists will write both good and bad things - these are normal things in football. The most important thing is how you deal with it. These are normal things, this is your job. Many fans listen to you and read you. We, professional footballers, have to cope with this.
- You said a few years ago that you were dissatisfied with the European part of your career because of injuries and other factors that did not allow you to fully develop...
- When I played at Dynamo Kyiv, I imagined everything a little differently. But it happened as it happened. There are a number of reasons for this. Yes, I am dissatisfied with the way my career in Europe has developed. Did I gain valuable experience? Definitely, yes, because I played with the best players in the world, saw a slightly different level of how players prepare and train. And this is the experience you don't get when you play in the same team all the time.
- You told us that when you were at West Ham, you sent your family to Kyiv just as the full-scale invasion began...
- My wife and eldest son were in Kyiv. It was a difficult time, I didn't know what to do... I got a call from Dynamo president Ihor Surkis and he offered to help me, and I am very grateful for that.
- Did the feeling of gratitude influence your decision to return to Dynamo?
- No, it did not affect my decision in any way. I have always known the attitude of FC Dynamo towards me. This club gave me everything. And similarly, everyone at the club knows my attitude towards Dynamo. This is a story about something else - about humanity.
- It is said that West Ham gave you some time to come to your senses and settle things regarding the safety of your family?
- Yes, I'm grateful to West Ham for the time they gave me, during which I could not train. Back then, football was out of the question. When people are being killed in your country, you can't think about anything else. I didn't want to play at all. And when I calmed down a bit, I realised that I needed to keep playing football, and thanks to my name, I could show people what was happening in my country. It wasn't easy, but I had to do it.
- Which of your partners supported you the most?
- Probably Lukasz Fabianski, but I also received messages of support from all the other guys and the club staff, everyone offered some kind of help, and I am very grateful for that.
When you feel supported in difficult times, when you, your family, your country are in trouble, you have a different attitude towards the club, the fans, and everything that happens around you. In general, the British help Ukrainians a lot, and we should appreciate it.
- After Tymoshchuk was written out of the national team's history, you played the most matches for the national team. Did you urge him to change his attitude to the war?
- He is an adult who has made his choice. I just called him and asked if he was sleeping well. We just sent each other away. What can I talk to him about? He is not a person to me, he simply does not exist. To do this after all that our country has given him... I just don't want to say offensive things on camera.
- You said that your children asked you to speak Ukrainian with them, but how did they react to your return home?
- Of course, they miss me and want to return to Ukraine, to go to Chernihiv to visit their grandparents. I have to explain to them what is happening in our country and who is doing it. And as for the Ukrainian language, I do speak only Ukrainian with my children. But I am not without sin, I regret that I did not do it earlier.
- It's great that the captain of the Ukrainian national team is returning home and will live in Ukraine, in Kyiv. This is a good example for the fans, for the whole world.
- We all have to thank our military every day for the fact that we have a home to come back to.
- Nowadays, the military are your heroes and idols, do you keep in touch with the fans who are defending Ukraine?
- Sometimes they call me and ask how I am doing, sometimes I call them. I've had friendly relations with them since I played for Dynamo. I know how much our fans do for Ukraine, not only for Dynamo Kyiv but also for other clubs. Of course, every footballer has only respect and gratitude for them.
