Former Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk striker Emanuel Okoduwa recalled his time at the Ukrainian capital.
Emanuel Okoduwa- Was the invitation to Dynamo Kyiv in 2008 a surprise? Who exactly invited you?
- I did not expect it. At the time, I was playing in Belgium and had an invitation from the former coach of Metalurh Donetsk, Ko Adrianse, who called me to Salzburg, Austria. However, I got a call from the president of Dynamo Kyiv, Ihor Surkis, and I didn't think twice. I wanted to return to Ukraine.
- Why didn't you manage to get a foothold?
- I arrived, but got injured at the training camp and had surgery in Belgium. After this operation, I still feel discomfort in my leg when I play football.
- Didn't Dynamo try to terminate your contract when you got that serious injury? Did you talk to the president after you joined the club?
- No, it didn't happen. I was on loan at the time, and I came to Kuban for the second time. I never spoke to the Dynamo president after signing the contract.
- You caught Dynamo in the days of Valeriy Gazzaev and Yuriy Semin. To what extent did these coaches have different approaches?
- Gazzaev was... his training was very hard: always running, running, running. However, I am grateful to him because it was with him that I managed to win the Super Cup of Ukraine (2009). As for Semin, he paid much more attention to working with the ball.
- You also caught the period when the Artem Milevsky - Oleksandr Aliyev tie was torn not only in nightclubs but also on football fields. What can you tell us about them?
- I hadn't heard much about nightclubs, I just knew that there were some scandals. As footballers, they were very good. They could have played in European teams, but Dynamo played in the Champions League and Europa League at the time.
- Did you notice the young Andrii Yarmolenko in that Dynamo team?
- I remember that it was Gazzaev who gave him a chance. He must have seen something in him. Gazzaev put Yarmolenko in the squad regardless of how he played, just like Grozny and Husyev at Arsenal in Kyiv. A footballer really needs trust, especially a young one.
- Wasn't Yarmolenko spitting because Gazzaev used him on the left in defence?
- Perhaps it was some kind of educational moment. I also played left-back at Grozny's Arsenal. How did he explain it? It was just that when the opponent had a very fast player on the right wing of the attack, he put me on the left in defence. At Arsenal, I played almost everywhere, the main thing for me was to play.
- At Dynamo, you made friends with Ayla Youssef. Does your friendship continue? What is he doing now?
- Yes, of course we keep in touch. We even managed to talk this morning, we are always in touch. He has his own football academy in Nigeria, which he is developing.
Vladyslav Liutostanskyi
