Dynamo Kyiv midfielder Oleksandr Andrievsky shared his expectations for the upcoming match against Vorskla in the 7th round of the Ukrainian Championship, told us what personal goals he has set for the season, and also about his desire to continue his career in one of the foreign clubs.
- Oleksandr, you were out of action at the start of the season. How are you feeling now?
- I feel good. Everything is fine with me. I returned to action after a minor injury. I am training in the general group, preparing for the next game against Vorskla.
- What kind of injury did you have?
- My ankle hurt a bit after the match against Greek side Aris.
- How do you like Dynamo's start to the season? What can you say about the game?
- Of course, I wanted more points than six. We won the first two games, which is very good. It so happened that we lost the third game to Chornomorets. I think we should forget about that defeat and prepare for the next matches so as not to lose any more points.
- Dynamo scores a lot of goals in the league, but the defence is not good. What is your comment?
- This is probably a question for the coaches. But if we score more than the opponent in every game, it doesn't matter how many goals we concede. The most important thing is to win.
- We will not avoid the question about Dynamo's European Cup matches. What is your opinion on those matches?
- It's bad that we didn't make it to the group stage of the Conference League. Of course, everyone is disappointed, but we will prepare to fix it next year.
- Have the team's training sessions changed in any way after the elimination from the European competitions? Maybe they have become longer?
- No, we follow the usual routine. We work out - as always, we do a lot of work, then we go to the gym. I don't think it makes sense to change anything in such situations. That's not the issue here.
- You haven't played a single match in the league yet. What can you say about the development of events in our domestic arena?
- There is no need to rush - this is just the beginning of the championship. Each team has more than two dozen games ahead of them. Therefore, it is too early to say anything. I think something should be clear after the first round.
- Shakhtar are above everyone else, so there are some sayings that no one can catch up with them.
- No, why is it higher? In terms of points lost, we are now above Shakhtar. If we win the postponed matches, we will be ahead of the Pitmen and will be in first place.
- Have you already analysed your nearest rival, Vorskla? What do you know about this team?
- They are a good team, which they have proved in recent matches. So far, we have not analysed them, all the preparations for the match are still ahead. I even followed Skrypnyk's work at Zorya. He built a very strong team there.
Today's Vorskla is distinguished by its fighting qualities. We have to prepare for a serious game.
- But is Dynamo stronger?
- The game will show, everything will be visible on the field.
- What are your personal goals for the season?
- To play more, to help the team with assists and goals: this is exactly what I can do to help the team and what I think the fans expect from me. That's the only way. And the main thing is to take first place in the league with Dynamo.
- In which position do you feel more comfortable - in front of the defence line or closer to the attack?
- If you look at the numbers, I like the six or eight. And the number ten, under attack, is not really my position.
- Does the fact that Sydorchuk left the team give you a chance to play more in the centre?
- We'll see, time will tell. Yes, Sydorchuk left - you could say he was a competitor, but he was the team captain and gave us a lot. I think it's a loss for Dynamo.
- Is Garmash also a loss?
- Of course. He is a Dynamo legend, Denys has done a lot for the club.
- Does Dynamo have anyone to replace Sydorchuk and Garmash?
- We'll see. It's hard to say now.
- Could you have left Dynamo?
- It depends. I wanted to leave, but they wouldn't let me go. I stayed here, and the main thing for me is to play for Dynamo.
- Where exactly did you want to go?
- Somewhere abroad - I looked at options in Belgium, Portugal...
- Did weak clubs call you from Belgium? From the bottom of the standings, like Sydorchuk's?
- Why weak? Average, even those that play in European competitions, but I can't name them.
Oleksandr Petrov