Former head coach of Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukraine national team Jozsef Szabo said what he thinks about Shakhtar Donetsk's performance at the start of the current Ukrainian championship. The Pitmen have picked up only 18 points in nine games, with three draws and one defeat.
József Szabó- Jozsef Jozsefovic, what is happening with van Leeuwen at Shakhtar, why is nothing working?
- It's a disaster! It's not only van Leeuwen who has a problem. It seems that the players at Shakhtar have taken off and become arrogant, thinking that they are the best in Ukraine.
After Jovicevic left, Shakhtar can't do anything. Van Leeuwen can do nothing. It turns out that one decision destroyed both Shakhtar and Zorya, because the Luhansk team is also feverish after the Dutchman's departure.
- What other problems do you see at Shakhtar?
- They have taken a lot of new players, who have not yet joined the team. Perhaps van Leeuwen gives a lot of pressure, so the players are simply useless. The defence is a horror. They have signed players with a name, but they are old, they are Chygrynskiy and Rakitskiy, who have lost their speed. Stepanenko is already of age, but there is no replacement for him.
Also, Shakhtar have no centre-forward, who constantly presses the defenders and opens up all the time. Sikan does not pull, he is weak.
- But most of these players under Jovicevic achieved results: they became UPL champions, performed well in European cups, while under van Leeuwen it is not the case. Why?
- I see that under the Dutchman, Shakhtar have no game discipline. Sometimes, the opponents attack, and the Donetsk players just stand and watch. What is this?! Look at Tsygankov at Girona, not counting yesterday's match against Real Madrid. He was taught to attack and defend. He did not do that at Dynamo. And at Shakhtar nobody plays like that - players stand and watch the opponent attack.
In addition, van Leeuwen could put the players under heavy loads. Lobanovskiy and I have constantly analysed this aspect, if the players were put under heavy loads, they must be able to pull them out, and the Dutchman, apparently, can't do it.
- Do you think van Leeuwen should leave after such poor results, as for Shakhtar?
- After today's loss ("Vorskla", 1-2, in the 9th round of the Ukrainian league - editor's note) - yes. But I think the decisive moment will be the next Champions League match. If Shakhtar lose to Antwerp, van Leeuwen will definitely leave or he will be sacked.
- Who to appoint instead of him?
- Here is the question. Ukrainian top coaches are all busy. Besides, Shakhtar only want foreigners, but foreign specialists will not come to Ukraine. We have a bloody war, and foreigners do not want to die accidentally.
- Who do you think at Shakhtar initiated the dismissal of Jovicevic and the invitation of van Leeuwen?
- I can't say, because I wasn't in the team. I was surprised when Jovicevic was sacked. "Shakhtar became champions under him and performed well in Europe. The Croatian spoke Ukrainian, and the atmosphere in the team under him was super, it was evident. So, something happened inside the club.
I think something was whispered in Akhmetov's ear, because only the president can make such a decision.
- Do you think Jovicevic is stronger than van Leeuwen as a coach?
- Jovicevic worked very well, there was a result, so I think he is stronger. When van Leeuwen was hired, they said that he was his own man, he worked in Shakhtar's academy. But the academy and the first team are different things. You need to know how to make loads. Something wrong is going on at Shakhtar.
- Which team do you like the most at the moment in terms of the game in the UPL?
- I really like Kryvbas. They really play like men there and work hard on the pitch - they run until the last minute. "Chornomorets" looks good, Grigorchuk managed to put the game.
I hope that Dnipro-1 will pull up, because Maksimov is a tough coach and knows how to discipline. Some players of the Dnipro team, who are used to playing on clean balls, are now running around the pitch for the whole 90 minutes.
- Can Kryvbas and Chornomorets compete for the championship this season?
- Of course they can. But I think Shakhtar will stand on their feet under a different coach, who will give the team a boost and pull the team out of this pit, giving a kick in the head to the young dudes, who have become arrogant.
I also don't like one point. The way the players in the centre of the pitch are riding on their arse! Sometimes I even switch off the telly because of it. A foul in the middle of the pitch, the referee blows the whistle, and the footballer is lying and twisting from a little push, almost call an ambulance. A minute later he got up and ran like nothing had happened. Fuck! It's shameful for a man! It's not just here, it's in England.
I've never behaved like that. I remember when we played against Germany and Beckenbauer stepped on my foot and I played the match to the end with a closed fracture on injections.
I would like to take this opportunity to address our players: guys, you can't behave like this and fall and fake every collision. Be men! If you have been hit - get up and move on!
- Did you manage to watch Girona's match against Real Madrid?
- Yes, I did. The level of Real Madrid is a head above. Tsygankov was not seen on the pitch, so he was replaced. Dovbik also did not look good, he had one moment, but he hit 10 metres past the goal. "Real" showed "Girona" their place in the championship, and this is somewhere tenth. It is a pity that against such an opponent our guys could not prove themselves.
Andriy Piskun
