Dynamo Kyiv defender Denys Popov spoke about the team's preparations for the postponed match of the 6th round of the Ukrainian championship, which will take place tomorrow in the capital, and also shared a part of his personal life related to the expectation of a new addition to the family.
Denis Popov- Have your emotions settled down after the recent away match against Vorskla Poltava? How are you preparing for the next match?
- Yes, we switched immediately after the match. We had some worries, the game was delayed, but we have no time to think about it, because we have our next match soon. We are preparing with a positive attitude, because we won the previous game and got a good result.
- On Thursday, Dynamo will play a postponed match against Zorya, does this affect your preparations, have there been any changes in the training process?
- Yes, of course, it does, because we have less time to recover and prepare for the next opponent. That's why the coaches reduced the workload a little and changed the training process.
- What kind of training regime does the team use? What do your training sessions focus on?
- We have one training session a day, as usual. We just pay more attention to recovery, and then, in fact, training.
- What was the purpose of today's training session?
- Today we worked on the mechanisms of movement in defence. Nothing special, we just spent more time with the ball, including warming up with it.
- You finished training a little early, what was the reason for that?
- To recover a little better. I'll go to the gym and work out with the fitness coach.
- What do you expect from the upcoming match against Zorya? "Dynamo have played this opponent recently, have they changed much since then?
- I heard that they had some conflicts, I think they will play well now. They are a good team, we are preparing carefully, and the main thing is that the whole team is approaching this game with a positive attitude, we are determined to win.
- It will be a nominally away game for Dynamo, but it will be played in Kyiv. Is it more enjoyable to play at home?
- Of course, it's more pleasant, especially with the audience. But the most important thing is safety, which is the first thing to consider. If everything goes well, of course, people will have a good mood and positive emotions.
- It seems like you've been preparing for matches and playing with double the enthusiasm and zeal lately because of the good news in your family?
- Yes, we are expecting a new addition to our family, it is a very important event for us. That's why I have even more desire to achieve my goals, I have aspirations, and most importantly, I have someone to do it for.
- After scoring a goal in a recent match against Zorya, you put it under your shirt. Did you dedicate this goal to your pregnant wife? How did she react?
- Yes, I did. Of course, she saw it. In fact, she really wanted me to score and celebrate in this way. So, it was more her dream, and I tried to realise it.
- It must have been not so easy to do, because defenders don't often score?
- Yes, this is an additional bonus. But the main thing is that the team won. And who exactly scored is not really important. The main thing is to get three points in each match and move towards our goal.
- Yesterday you had a so-called "gender party", during which you found out the sex of your unborn child. Can you tell us who you are expecting?
- No, I can't, it's a secret. We agreed in the family not to talk about it. We will inform the public when the child is born. Right now, only those who need to know know - the closest ones.
- How was the event itself? What was the atmosphere like?
- We held this event in a family circle, the atmosphere was great, we had close friends. In general, it was nothing special, we just found out the sex of the child, had dinner, talked and left, because the next day we had a training session.
- After the game against Zorya, Dynamo will play their next league match again in three days, on the fourth. Is it a rather tight schedule?
- Of course, it's better to play more often than to train. So more games is good, but on the other hand, there is less time for recovery. Therefore, you need to pay even more attention to this process and approach each next match correctly.
