The 2023/2024 national championship starts on 29 July. The tournament, as well as last season, will feature 16 teams. Zhytomyr (Polesie) and Cherkasy (LNZ) will be represented in the elite of Ukrainian football for the first time. Returned after 11 years in the Premier League metropolitan "Obolon". And left the top division FC Lviv and Kharkiv Metalist.
In 2023, 17 rounds will be played in the UPL until 9 December, the second part of the championship will resume on 24 February 2024. The participants will play another 13 rounds.
Drawing of the Cup of Ukraine, after a year's pause, will begin with matches 1/16 finals in August. 27 September meetings 1/8, 1 November - 1.4. The continuation of the cup tournament (semifinals) is scheduled for 3 April 2024. We will find out the winner of the trophy on 25 May.
A season of disappointment
Back to the 32nd Ukrainian Championship, in which Dynamo disappointed numerous fans. For the second time in the history of our main tournament, Kyivians were left without awards. The first time it happened in the season 2013/2014, when Oleh Blokhin was the coach of the Bilo-Syni.
The failure has now occurred under Mircea Lucescu. "Shakhtar", his former team, was ahead of "Dynamo" by 12 points (72 and 60 respectively).
In 30 games, the capital club won 18, drew 6 and lost 6. Dynamo scored 51 goals, conceded 25.
As the home team, the Kyivians have scored 25 points in 15 games. This is the sixth result, Shakhtar have scored 39 points in their own arenas.
But Dynamo players played much more successfully on the road, they scored 35 points.
Vanat (25 games) and Buyalskyi (27) scored 12 times each. 15 players scored goals for Dynamo. Dynamo has 14 "dry" games, 5 - goalless.
In the previous championship "Bilo-Syni" won with a big score: over "Alexandria" (5:1), 3:0 over "Rukh", "Metalist", "Chornomorets", "Kolos" and "Veres".
One Dynamo victory was a willful one. Losing in Poltava - 0:1, the guests won - 2:1.
Referees showed 4 red cards and 70 yellow cards to Dynamo players.
In the symbolic team of the 32nd national championship according to "Sport Arena" there is not a single Dynamo player among 11 players. Sad.
In my opinion, Dynamo's unsuccessful performance in the championship was affected by its failed start - defeats from Dnipro-1 - 0:3 and Zorya - 1:3. At the equator of the first round Dynamo were only tenth.
Mircea Lucescu, who took charge of Dynamo in July 2020, already in the first season in Kyiv led his wards to victories in the championship, Cup and Super Cup of Ukraine. He explains the failure this way:
- "Dynamo" left several leading performers, which could not but affect the game of the team. A group of young capable players joined the team, but they lacked experience.... The war, games with empty stands, frequent travelling also had a negative impact on our performances. But it is good that in such a difficult time the championship of Ukraine was held, which proved that it is a football country.
Let's be patient
Preparation for the new season Dynamo under Lucescu, whose contract with the Kyiv club is till June 2024, was held in Austria. There Dynamo players had enough useful sparring sessions.
Andriy Yarmolenko returned to the team after a six-year absence. I remind you that he played in German Borussia Dortmund, English West Ham (London), Al Ain (UAE).
The midfielder, who is 33 years old, for the years of his appearance in Dynamo Andriy played 341 matches in all tournaments, scored 137 goals.
The lease of Volodymyr Brazhko and Serhiy Buletsa at Zorya is over. They are back at Dynamo.
35-year-old goalkeeper Denys Boyko and 27-year-old forward Artem Besedin left the team. The forward played 143 matches for Dynamo and scored 35 goals. The second part of the previous season he played on loan at Omonia Cyprus.
Having taken the fourth place in the championship, Dynamo will make their debut in the Conference League. It will start in the third qualifying round. The draw of pairs will be held on 24 July. The matches will be held on 10 and 17 August. Dynamo will be seeded at the draw.
"The Kyivians will play their home matches of the Conference League in Bucharest at the Rapid Giulesti stadium. The reserve option is Poland.
Let's be patient, hoping that no formal circumstances will prevent the Ukrainian championship. And we wish Dynamo a successful performance in it and in the European Cup.
Oleksandr LIPENKO for Dynamo.kiev.ua
