Volodymyr Brazhko is the captain of the Ukrainian youth national team and a main player for Dynamo Kyiv. He made his debut for the youth team at the age of 18, in the qualifiers for Euro 2021. "SuspilneSporttalked to the player about the youth team's renewal, his status as a main player at Dynamo and his dream of playing at the Olympic Games.
Volodymyr Brazhko. Photo: fcdynamo.com- You played in Ruslan Rotan's youth team, and now you're with Unai Melgosa. What has changed with the new coach? How do the approaches differ?
- The style of play has changed. With Unai, you have to play faster, more forward. With Rotan, it was different - more control, possession, calmer football. Now we play fast football, more focused on attacking.
- In the match against Luxembourg, in your opinion, how many per cent did you manage to do what the coaching staff asked of you?
- I think we played very well for the opening sixty minutes. Then thirty minutes - so-so. If we had conceded, it would have been very difficult to play. But sixty minutes can be counted as an asset.
- How did the team take the change of coaching staff? And what were your first impressions of Unai Melgosa?
- They took it well, because players and coaches always change in football. This is normal. The first meeting [with Unai Melhosa] took place in Slovakia, we talked for 30 minutes. He told us that he would demand from us what he wanted to see on the pitch. We understood this, and now we are trying to improve with every game.
- What is Unai Melgos like in the training process: can he "shove" somewhere, shout? Or does he not?
- I think Unai knows when to push and when to tell - he just needs a different approach to everyone. Maybe someone takes this criticism badly and then relaxes on the pitch and can't get ready. I think the coach knows more than I do.
- After the match with Luxembourg, Bohdan Viunnik said that communication during training is in English and that he helps the guys with translation a little bit. Have you taken up learning English more now?
- Yes, I'm interested in it too. I understand [English] quite well, but I can't speak it very well. But I've seen that I'm gaining in my understanding of English, and it gives me [confidence].
- Did he have any Spanish words that you already use somewhere?
- I know only one word - finite.
- After Serhii Rebrov arrived and Unai Melhosa was appointed head coach of the youth team, it was said that a "vertical of national teams" would be formed. You watched Ukraine's match against North Macedonia yesterday. Do you see that Taras Stepanenko's game in the national team and the game that Melgosa sets for you are roughly the same?
- I watched Stepanenko in this match, I noticed a lot of things that are required of me. Movement, opening up. When the pressure is on and I need to move towards the ball, I see that Stepanenko does it too. And I do the same. Then Ukraine switched to a 4-4-2 formation and I noticed that maybe if we change something, we should play differently.
It's very good that we have the same system and you can watch football and analyse the match immediately.
- When you watched the match against North Macedonia, did you realise that you could also play for the national team?
- I didn't think about it, it was the coach's decision. I won't say that I'm ready or not ready. Whether I want to or not, it's the coach's decision.
"The Ukrainian anthem almost always gives me goosebumps"
- Which of the guys who are now together in the youth team have you played with before? Perhaps with someone from childhood?
- No one from this team. We played together with Skork from U14-U15. But in the previous youth team, Drumbayev and I played since we were 7-8 years old in Zaporizhzhia.
- What are the nicknames of your youth teammates? What do you use during training and matches?
- Batagov - Bat, I - Braga, Skorko - Skoryk, Valik Rubchynskyi - Val. I call Nazar Voloshin Peps. Ruslan Neshcheret - Moose. I don't know why, but when he joined Dynamo, he was called that.
- Who is the fastest, most technical and quickest decision-maker in the youth team?
- The fastest? I think Voloshin. The most technical? Valik Rubchynskyi. The fastest decision-maker? Fesyun (laughs). Who has the best shot? I don't know.
- Who in the youth team charges the atmosphere?
- Skorko, Ryabchynskyi, Batagov, me, Fesyun.
- Who is the DJ?
- Vyunnik.
- What do you listen to?
- When there are 40 minutes left before we go out for the warm-up, he plays English music, and then Ukrainian music before we go out. I don't remember what songs were playing.
- What makes you, as a footballer, get goosebumps?
- Sometimes the Ukrainian anthem. Almost always. We in the national team try to sing very loudly, and I hear everyone singing, and it also charges me.
- You play under the number 17 in the youth team. Now Yaremchuk has this number at Valencia, and Zinchenko at Arsenal. Why exactly 17?
- As soon as I joined Dynamo, I played under the number 17 and I liked it. I've also been following [Kevin] de Bruyne since I was a kid and I still do, I'm very impressed by this player. He played at number 17. I even got a tattoo - number 17 on my back. And somehow it went, went, went. I played under this number, played, played.
And when I joined Zorya, I couldn't take it because [Denys] Nahnoinyi had 17. Now I've returned to Dynamo, and [Bohdan] Lednev took the 17th number. I think I'll take 6, depending on the position.
- You mentioned de Bruyne, but before the game you said that you were watching Casemiro and Busquets more?
- Yes, I do. I am also very impressed with Rodri. And de Bruyne is more of an attacking player, I'm more of a defensive player. That's why I only watch his passes. In terms of position, I look more at Casemiro, Rodri, Busquets.
- As for the clubs, who do you support?
- I've been following Manchester City since [Pep] Guardiola joined them. I really like the style of the team, very strong players. And in general, the league is very strong.
- But last year was the World Cup in Qatar, which team did you support, who did you follow?
- Belgium. Because that's where De Bruyne is. I didn't cheer, I was watching. I didn't follow anyone else.
- Who did you support in the final? Argentina or France?
- I was rooting for France. I didn't want Messi to win. I would have liked Ronaldo to win, so that they would have been equally matched.
- I played in the youth team with [Heorhii] Sudakov and [Artem] Bondarenko. At Zorya, together with [Yevhen] Shakhov and [Serhii] Buletsa. At Dynamo, I haven't been able to play with [Mykola] Shaparenko to the fullest yet, because he hasn't recovered from his injury yet. From whom did you gain the most experience?
- I gained something from each of them, some qualities, I took something from each of them. I watched everyone. I watch a lot of players. Not only on the pitch, but also off it.
Shakhov gave me a lot of advice, he's a very experienced player and he talked to me a lot. He told me about Italy, how they treat people there, how to play in Europe in general.
- What about Sudakov and Bondarenko, your path to Euro 2023?
- They are very good players, very calm on the ball. They know what to do on the field. We can say that I was the third in their team, who cleaned up from behind. I gave the ball away, and they knew what to do with it.
- Thanks to reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2023, Ukraine qualified for the Olympics in football for the first time in its history. How do you feel about this? Have you ever watched the Olympics before?
- I used to watch the Olympics as a child, but not football, because Ukraine didn't qualify. As a child, I watched it with my grandfather, I watched a lot. Not just the Olympics, we watched a lot of biathlon in the winter, basketball and handball. We have a Motor team in Zaporizhzhia, and my grandfather still goes to their matches when they play. We talk about sports a lot.
Of course, it's a dream [to play at the Olympics], I want to go there. But I've already said that the decision is not up to us.
- The Euro semi-finals or the Olympics?
- The Euros are probably better, but the Olympics are also a very strong tournament, I think.
"At first, I was upset that I didn't join Torino, but then they sold Sydorchuk and I realised that they were counting on me"
- Over thepast month, you have managed to become a major player at Dynamo and score several goals. Do scoring goals help relieve the pressure and responsibility for playing at Dynamo?
- Yes, goals and assists help with adaptation and confidence. With each match I become calmer, because the first matches were nervous. I was expected to score goals and make assists. It didn't work out with Vorskla, but we won, I was happy. There is room to grow in all qualities.
- What are the differences between your functions at Dynamo and in the national team?
- The style of play is different. At Dynamo, I need to play more offensively, the development of the attack depends more on me. The development of the youth team also depends on me, but there are two more insiders ahead who are more attack-minded, while I work more on defence.
- At the start of the season, Dynamo conceded a lot of goals, and the team was criticised for its defensive performance. In your opinion, what is the reason for this?
- Lack of concentration, probably. It's not about the players. There is just a lack of concentration at certain moments. When we won 2-1 against Polissia in the last match, the opponent earned a red card and that was it. We thought that everything was in our hands, but it turned out that we lost.
- Is it also a problem to be somewhat relaxed after you take the lead?
- Yes, there is something to it. Maybe it is a problem.
- There was interest from Torino in the summer. How ready were you to go?
- It was nice. The first team that was interested in me and made an offer. Of course, I believed that I could move, but it was the president's decision [not to sell]. At first I was upset, but then Serhiy Sydorchuk was sold, and I realised that I was counted on [at Dynamo] and I had to prove myself, play a season or two at Dynamo and then leave if the clubs agreed.
- Which foreign championship do you like?
- I like Italy, England, the Bundesliga. All of the top five(laughs).
Yevhen KARANOV, Serhii ZAKHARCHENKO
