Former Dynamo Kyiv midfielder Ihor Haratin, who now plays for Polish side Legia, has confirmed that he has been transferred to his current club's reserve team, which plays in the Polish third league.
- Polish television reported that you were transferred to Legia-2, which plays in the third strongest division of the Polish championship. Who took the initiative?
- Yes, temporarily I will train with the second team, because the coach of the first team does not count on me. I'm not going to the training camp, so I'll be with the second team for now.
I have six months left on my contract. That's why I'm now looking for a new team.
- Are you interested in other clubs?
- Yes, but none of them have approached me yet.
- They probably know about your situation in Poland. Have Legia's rivals approached you?
- Not yet, I will consider all options.
- Are you ready to consider offers from Ukraine?
- Of course I am. I am ready to come here. I am considering all options. I missed football. I'm looking forward to a new challenge.
- Dynamo is actively looking for newcomers. Have you received any offers from the club you grew up in?
- I have not been approached.
- Can't they find a suitable option for a player who has been called up to the national team of Ukraine?
- I don't know what it depends on. Now I have no playing practice. When you play, it's always easier for you. Then it all depends on the agents.
- How do you feel in terms of playing?
- Thank God, there were no injuries. I played and trained. Plus, I work individually with a physical training coach. There are no problems in this regard. You need to work hard to keep yourself in good shape.
- The Polish Championship is currently on pause. "Legia has been fighting on three fronts for the past six months, which has affected the results in the ExtraCleague - now it is 9 points behind the leading Schląsk. How would you rate the first part of the season?
- It is very difficult to play in three tournaments when you play several games a week. At a certain point, the team can't stand it anymore and the decline begins.
"Legia played 33 games in these half a season, if I'm not mistaken. We overcame six qualifying matches to get into the Conference League group. We played every game as if it were the final. The team gave a lot of effort for this, and already at the group stage we left a very difficult group.
We lost points somewhere in the championship, but we have every chance to win back those 9 points, although the gap is quite large. The qualifications of the players in the team give us hope.
- The conclusion is that Legia is in the same position as the reigning champion Raków, who, after being eliminated from the Europa League, will concentrate on the Polish league and Cup.
- The facts.
- Legia made it to the Conference League play-offs, finishing second in a group with Aston Villa, AZ and Zrynski. Can a team from Warsaw go far in European competitions?
- "I think Legia has the strength to get past Molde, and then it will be seen. The chances are good.
- Teams from Ukraine that play in European competitions are met in terms of postponing domestic league matches. How loyal are the Poles to this?
- I don't remember exactly, but several games were postponed when we were still playing qualifying. It was at the beginning of the season, when it was extremely important to concentrate on the European Cups to play in the group round. We played the last game on 20 December(a 0-2 defeat to Krakow - ed.). The schedule of two matches a week was stable.
- In terms of personnel, does Legia need to be strengthened?
- There are a lot of qualified players in Legia's roster. There is a lot of competition. We have made some spot reinforcements. Those players who did not play at all left the team.
Oleksandr Karpenko