Famous Ukrainian coach Oleg Fedorchuk told us what he expects from the central match of the 13th round of the Ukrainian championship, in which Dynamo and Shakhtar will play in Kyiv today.
- What are your expectations from the match, how will the game develop?
- Shakhtar have a new coach, and this always means a surge of emotions, increased responsibility and a desire to prove themselves among the players. "Dnipro-1 showed that this is a plus when they went on a winning streak after Maksymov's arrival.
"Shakhtar will definitely be in a better psychological state. But this game is extremely important for Dynamo, because in case of failure, Kyiv will practically lose their chances of winning the championship. Therefore, the game will be emotional and it will not be easy for Dynamo.
- Who can become the hero of the match?
- I expect a bright game from the midfielders, and Shakhtar have a stronger team. At Dynamo, everyone was waiting for Shaparenko to return, but he shone in only one game and then looked faded. Let's hope that he will prove himself against Shakhtar.
There is hope for Buyalsky, who plays with the captain's armband. Brazhko, who has claims to leadership, can also prove himself.
At Shakhtar, Bondarenko, Sudakov and Kryskiv are playing steadily, effectively and feel confident.
- Do you think Surkis will fire Lucescu after the match against Shakhtar?
- This decision has been long overdue. There have already been leaks from Dynamo's camp that not all players are happy with Lucescu's work. This was not the case a year ago. The game against Shakhtar will be crucial for Lucescu.
The arrival of the Romanian revived Dynamo for a year, and then the team started to move downwards. There were no innovations, no ideas, no emotional support from the coach, so the players became nervous, as evidenced by the frequent suspensions.
The fact that Lucescu has started to turn the tables on the referees is not serious.
I think that if Dynamo loses to Shakhtar, Surkis will fire Lucescu for 90%. There's no point in keeping him, we'll have to prepare for the next season.
- Why didn't Dynamo add any players in the summer transfer window, not counting free agents and the return of loan players? Why did Surkis spend several times less than Akhmetov did at Shakhtar, even though strengthening after last season's disastrous performance was a no-brainer?
- Firstly, Surkis's options are limited, and secondly, he needs ideas. We see UPL teams that are staffed by Ukrainian players and play well. This is the same Kryvbas and Polissia.
Sometimes you need to change the coach, not the players. "Dynamo is second only to Shakhtar in Ukraine in terms of squad, and that's not much. And as a result, it has been failing for the second season in a row, not even claiming second place.
- Why are players who shone in other teams, such as Kabaev, regressing and ceasing to develop at Dynamo?
- Players who come to the team need the support of the coach. He gives them the opportunity to adapt and make mistakes. If the coach doesn't do this, the player gets nervous.
Lucescu trusted only two players - Besedin and Garmash - completely. He punished the others very severely. And what did we see in the end? Lucescu bet on the wrong people.
- Shakhtar signed three Brazilians (Eginaldo, Neverton, Pedrino), but none of them are first-teamers. Can we forget about them as a strengthening?
- Shakhtar have experience in this regard. Almost all of Shakhtar's newcomers have six months to adapt. It is incredibly difficult for Brazilians to adapt. "Shakhtar took them for the future.
Oddly enough, the leading players of the Donetsk team are not Brazilians, but our own pupils. I also really like two Georgians - Gocholeishvili and especially Azarov. Dynamo used to work well on the Georgian market - Kaladze, Demetradze, Tsveiba - but now Shakhtar have become more flexible and are ahead of Kyiv.
In the USSR, Georgians were called the Soviet Brazilians because of their equipment. Perhaps Shakhtar's management believes that it will be easier for the Georgian 'Brazilians' to adapt.
- There are two high-profile matches in this round: "Dynamo vs Shakhtar and Polissia vs Kryvbas. Which game do you consider to be the central one and why?
- Of course, Dynamo vs Shakhtar is the central match. The championship is like a marathon. At the equator of the competition, Polissia and Kryvbas have taken the lead, but Shakhtar and Dynamo have higher potential and more experience. Most likely, Kryvbas and Polissia will fight for second place, especially if Dynamo fails.
- What is your prediction for the Dynamo vs Shakhtar match?
- Despite all Dynamo's problems, the Classic is the Classic. I think Kyiv will not lose, because they cannot lose points, but they will not be able to win either. My bet is on 1-1.
Andrii Piskun
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