Former Dnipro and Shakhtar Donetsk player Konstantin Kravchenko spoke about the famous Ukrainian striker Artem Milevskiy.
Konstantin Kravchenko- I and striker Alexey Antonov, who is now coaching Chornomorets, were considered promising. We had a deep connection of some kind, I saw him, felt him, understood him. Even with my back to him I could know where he was opening.
It was easy to play with him, as well as with Milevskiy in the U-19 national team. With Antonov and Milevskiy I just got high. I knew in advance where I would run, when to pass, open, close. I could pass with my back without looking, like Rykun, from whom I also learnt a lot.
With Milevskiy in that national team at Euro U-19 in 2004 we took the third place. I was invited to the national team, although I was a year younger than everyone else.
I can give advice to the young: study your partners, with whom you play on the pitch.
How they move, open, close. Who plays in the wall, who can play in the rebound. Teach your partners to see, to read the opponent's game and it will be easier for you on the field. You will be able to play football with closed eyes.
- How was it better to pass to Milevskiy?
- To his feet, not on the move. He will always receive and cover with his body. And you need to go straight to open under him, he will always give it back, and he will open again. And you can either shoot yourself or pass to him again.
That's how he and Aliev played, they had a cool combination. For a player like me, playing as a striker, it was nice to play with Milevskiy, because he is a smart footballer. A player with brains, when taking a pass, already sees the third and fourth sentences.
- Do you think Milevskiy can be helped now?
- Oh... Honestly? Until Tema does not want to help himself, it will be hard. Friends - it is important, they should help, but do not make it all public. You can help him quietly. You can solve everything quietly. But friends are friends, but Tema must rethink everything himself, put himself in order.
- What kind of man is he?
- Honestly? That's the kind of man you want to be friends with. Decent, kind, always helpful, always open. He has a very large list of qualities that many people lack. Responsible, he will always be there for you, such friends are few.
- Milevskiy is not the man as he is portrayed by the secular press? Allegedly, he does not leave the nightclub.
- They attribute a lot of things. People are jealous very much. I, for example, was painted as a "boozer" all over Ukraine. ICTV did a special piece on me, I'm sure of it. They presented me as the third alcoholic in Ukraine. I was shocked, almost fell out of bed. But this trail is still lingering.
Why do people do it? Out of envy, out of revenge for not joining Dynamo? Many do not watch themselves, only look for other people's mistakes, find weaknesses.
Anton Terekhov
