Alan Aussey, a graduate of Dynamo Kyiv's school, commented on his move from Spanish side Ponferradina to Romanian side Cluj on loan.
Alan Aussey- How did the option of joining Cluj come about? It seemed that after Zhenya Konoplyanka they would no longer want to deal with Ukrainian players.
- I received an offer and accepted it.
- Did the news that the club has debts to the players scare you?
- No, it didn't scare me.
- What bribed you with the offer from Romania? What were the alternative options for continuing your career?
- An alternative option was to stay at Ponferrada and wait for a chance.
- You mentioned that Cluj has a good team. Has the head coach Andrea Mandrolini spoken to you personally?
- I haven't spent much time with the team, but I think the microclimate in the team is good. We haven't talked to the head coach yet.
- You started the 23/24 season in Ponferrada B, but you didn't get a chance to prove yourself. Can you explain the situation in detail?
- Almost all the time in Spain I was with the first team from the beginning of the training camp. I had only a few training sessions at Ponferradina B. I worked and gave my all. I had a good training camp and, in my opinion, I did not waste the chances I got in the control matches. But the coach(Iñigo Velez - ed.) did not let me play a single minute. It was not easy, as I returned after a long break due to injury.
- What kind of injury?
- I got it in Pyunik, and it wasn't exactly a football injury. For a long time I had a pain in my hand that I didn't pay attention to. In Armenia, I had an X-ray and was told that I was lucky that this problem was detected in time. If I had done nothing for some time, it could have caused serious problems with my hand and joint.
It was decided to fly to Munich for an operation, which I paid for out of my own pocket. "Pyunik offered to perform the operation in Yerevan, but they would have to put a plate in. There was a professor in Munich who had extensive experience in such matters. I didn't need the plate.
- How was the postoperative period?
- After this surgery, I had problems with my stomach and gastrointestinal tract due to the large amount of medications I was taking. I had to suffer for six months, if not more. I could hardly eat anything, but, thank God, everything is fine now.
- Were you personally comfortable in Spain in terms of life and adaptation?
- In some ways, yes, and in others, no. "Ponferrada is a small town. Almost no one speaks English there, so I started learning Spanish. As soon as I started to get good at it, I was offered to change countries and go to Cluj(Smiles).
Otherwise, everything was fine, but it was a bit annoying that almost everything there worked unusually. Establishments were open for a few hours in the afternoon and evening.
- And in football terms?
- It was not quite as easy. The Ponferradina coach and his assistants also didn't speak English. Often he could not explain to me what was required of me. Otherwise, it was a normal training process. Of course, I didn't like not playing, but that's understandable.
- Have you followed the Romanian championship before?
- Not so much as to watch it, but since childhood I knew that there are such clubs in Romania as Cluj, Steaua, Rapid.
- What are your expectations for the transition to Cluj?
- I'll try to do everything to play more than I did at Ponferadina (Smiles).
- The railway team is 8 points behind the leader, FCSB (the newest name of the club that claims to be the history of Steaua). How do you assess the chances of winning the championship?
- As long as there are chances, we have to fight. 8 points is a lot, but there are still many matches ahead.
Oleksandr Karpenko
