Cherkasy LNZ midfielder Denys Oliynyk spoke about his team's preparations for tomorrow's match of the 8th round of the Ukrainian championship against Dynamo Kyiv, the 2-1 victory over Rukh in the last round and the younger generation of players in modern Ukrainian football.
Denis Oliynyk- Denys, how would you assess the team's condition before the match against Dynamo Kyiv?
- The mood is good, we won the last match and it adds to the positive emotions. So we are preparing for a normal game. We understand the strength of the opponent, gradually adjusting our form. The physical condition is good, both for me and the whole team. Our psychological state is also good, so we are preparing for a good game and believe that we will get a positive result.
- Few of the current generation of fans remember that you are a product of Dynamo Kyiv. What is the first thing you remember when you hear about Dynamo?
- I went through all the stages of the Dynamo system: Academy, Dynamo-3, Dynamo-2 and the main team. This club is in my heart, it's where I became a footballer, I always worry about the results of this team, as I spent 8 years in the structure of this club. Somewhere it was not enough to gain a foothold in the first team, but it was a different time, when young people were not as trusted as they are now. But I always remember that period fondly, I am grateful to the club because I had a good time there. Then I moved to Metalist, where I also developed, but thanks to Dynamo, I was established as a footballer.
- In the last round, you defeated Rukh, scoring the decisive goal five minutes before the end of normal time. Did the events of that match go as you had planned, or did the match scenario surprise you?
- We played very organised, disciplined and compact. We fulfilled the entire set-up given to us by the coaching staff. When everything is done correctly, then luck smiles somewhere. We scored at the end and won the game, which was very important for us, given the situation we were in. We didn't allow Rukh to create anything and converted our chances, winning the match.
- Yevhen Selezniov recently said that the current generation of footballers is very different from those who played at the beginning of his professional career. How do you think the qualities of footballers have changed now compared to when you started playing professionally?
- I think they have changed a lot. The time is different now, and the young people are different, they have different priorities and goals. They are more professional than the players of today. Today's players are very focused on training, on football in general. Time goes on, everything changes, and this plan is no exception.
- During the course of this championship, the head coach of LNZ changed. Did it become stressful for your team?
- It is difficult to answer here, because San Sanych Kovpak did a good job, the team reached the Premier League, I joined the team and worked with him for a while. It so happened that they changed the coach, but that's life. Now an experienced specialist has come in who has produced results in all the teams he has worked for. He has his own philosophy and he explains everything very clearly.
I see a great future for Cherkasy football and the LNZ. Everything is developing in the right direction here. I have the experience and the ability to compare with different clubs, so I see that everything is being done correctly and gradually. I think that over time, LNZ will reach a very high level.
