Dynamo Kyiv defender Kostiantyn Vivcharenko answered questions from fans on the VDYNAMO YouTube channel. Here is the most interesting part of the conversation.
Kostiantyn Vivcharenko. Photo by Yurii Yuriev- When you started playing football, was it initially perceived as a hobby or was it a conscious choice?
- Probably as a hobby. At first, I went swimming - more for health and also for growth. When I went swimming, I watched the boys play football. My mum said that maybe I should try it. That's how it went, but at the same time, I couldn't think that I would reach this level.
- Were you punished with football in your childhood for your poor studies?
- Yes, of course. I have a very strict mum in this regard. If I had a bad grade, I didn't go to training. But in general, my grades were at the level of 9-10.
- Is it true that when you started playing football, you could have ended up at Dynamo, Shakhtar, Dnipro and even foreign clubs?
- It's true only about Dynamo and Shakhtar. The first one was from the Pitmen. I played for guys a year older than me. In May, my mum received a call from Donetsk and was invited to a week-long viewing with the team. But there was a feeling that seemed to keep me in Odesa. About a month later, Dynamo called and said that they were taking me away without any viewings. We got together as a family and unanimously decided that we had to go to Kyiv. It was in 2016, when I was 13 years old.
- Can you remember the three players who played for Dynamo at No. 2 before you?
- Yes, I can. They are Oleg Luzhnyi, Danilo Silva and Oleksandr Hatskevych.
- They say that your hobby is tennis...
- Yes. I like to play, but not really watch. And when I have free time, I go to play with my friend. Among foreign tennis players, I am very impressed with Roger Federer, and among our compatriots, Elina Svitolina is at the top.
- We know that you are interested in the history of Ukraine. Who is the most prominent figure in the history of our country for you?
- Probably Taras Shevchenko. But I can't say that I read many of his works as a child. The fact is that I hate reading, and I was always forced to do it.
- A busy summer is ahead for our national teams. Where would you like to go - to the Euros or the Olympics?
- I wouldn't separate them. Both tournaments are very important, and Ukraine should do very well. The European Championships will be the first, and of course, I would like to get there with the national team.
- Since the start of the full-scale invasion, legionnaires have mostly not been coming to Ukraine. Do you think this is a plus or a minus for our football?
- For us, as young players, it's a plus, because it used to be difficult to get into the first team because of the large number of legionnaires. But now, through hard work, it is quite possible to show and prove that you are worthy of playing in the Dynamo first team.
- How do you feel about your competitor for the position, Vladyslav Dubinchak?
- It's great when there is healthy competition. Both Vlad and I train hard, show our best qualities, and try to help the team win. I think such competition is only a plus for Dynamo.
- You recently spent a few days in the national team's camp. Tell us about this experience.
- Emotions were overwhelming. It was somehow unexpected, but I got an incredible experience. Many of our legionnaires were not present, but still the atmosphere in the team was just at the top level. I want to come back there again and again.
- Do you have any traditions before going on the pitch?
- I step on the pitch with my right foot. Somehow it happened, we won one, two or three games, so the habit has remained.
- Do you plan to get a tattoo in the near future?
- Not in the near future. I already have two tattoos - the letter "V", which is the beginning of my sister Valeria's name, and a football.
- Could you describe your emotions when you took to the pitch for the first time in a Dynamo shirt?
- It was a match against Fenerbahce. I came on as a substitute, and it was a very important 15 minutes. We only needed to win, and I went on the pitch thinking that I had to do everything for this. Of course, there was excitement because we played in a large, packed stadium, and the emotions after this match did not subside for two days.
- What did Oleksandr Shovkovskyi bring to the team when he took over?
- Probably confidence and freedom of action.
- Have you been a Dynamo fan since childhood?
- I followed the Ukrainian championship, but I can't say that I was rooting for anyone.
- Name your symbolic team by position.
- Ter Stegen is in goal. Maldini on the left, Kafu on the right, Cannavaro and Nesta in the centre. In midfield, Zidane, Iniesta, Xavi. In attack, Ronaldo, Messi and Shevchenko.
