One of the future hopes of the Ukrainian national football team is the central defender of Austrian LASK Maxim Taloverov. At the age of 23, he has already made his debut for the national team, played 5 matches in the Europa League, where he even scored a goal, and is the main player of the third strongest team in Austria.
Before the start of the preparations for Euro 2024, Myron Goichman talked to Maxim about his emotions from his debut in the national team, further career goals, the level of the Austrian championship and playing for LASC, and also found out whether Taloverov plans to play at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Maxim Taloverov
-How doyou assess your performance in the recently concluded Austrian Championship?
- It's very difficult to evaluate myself, I think it's better for the coaches to do that. For my part, I will say that I still definitely have room to grow, although I feel that I have progressed this season. I am glad that the national team coaches appreciated this progress and I received an invitation to the national team of Ukraine for one of the most important training camps in my life so far. This year, I gained a lot of experience in the Austrian league, in European competitions, and made my debut in the first team, so I can't be upset about anything.
I have such a character that I am always not enough and I am often dissatisfied with myself, but this helps me to keep going and grow further.
The goals I set before the start of the season have almost all been achieved. The most important goal remains - a good performance for the national team. I will do my best to achieve it.
- Isthird place for LASC a success or a failure? What do you lack to compete for higher places?
- Our main goal was to win a place in the Europa League and we have achieved it, so the management is generally satisfied. Unfortunately, we lost a lot of points at the beginning of the second round and this did not allow us to compete for higher places. I hope that in the future we will have higher goals and play in the Champions League instead of the Europa League.
-In thelast league games, you played in the midfield instead of your usual centre-back position.How did it feel?
- For a footballer, it is always better to play than not to play. The new coaching staff decided to try me in the midfield. Sometimes I feel very comfortable, and sometimes I realise that I lack experience. I played in this position against the best teams in the country, ranked first and second, but I felt calm, relaxed and made the right decisions. Tactically and technically, there were sometimes problems, but I think that after playing more games as a holding midfielder, I will feel more comfortable. I think this experience will be useful to me in the national team.
- Have youalready settled in inAustria? What is the difference between Austrian football and Czech football?
- I believe that Austria has more skilled players. Here, football is both more powerful and more technical. Here, if they shoot on goal, it is more accurate. If there is a selection, it is tougher. All teams try to play intensely, with high pressure. So for me, football here is stronger than in the Czech Republic. And the Austrian championship is closer to the top 5 than the Czech one.
-This season you played almost constantly. Do you feel like an important player for LASK already? How are the relations with the fans?
- It's up to the coaches and the club management to judge. I try to prove everything on the field, not to talk about whether I am important. My goal is to help the team win and, above all, not to concede goals. This season, apart from the last game, we have conceded quite a few. I think that this season LASC has made a lot of progress in defence.
Our fans are amazing, one of the best, if not the best in Austria. It is largely thanks to their support that we were able to qualify for the Europa League for the second year in a row.
-You recently made yourdebut for the first Ukrainian national team.How did it feel?
- Those were some of the best days of my life and I was probably the happiest person in those days. It is everyone's dream to play for their national team. Especially in such a difficult situation in the country.
-How didyour new teammates meet you?
- Well, I knew most of the guys before. With the rest of them, we found a common language very quickly. I feel at home in the national team and it's very easy because everyone supports each other. For example, Vova Brazhko was at the training camp for the first time, but he played so well largely thanks to the atmosphere in the team. A friendly atmosphere is, if not 50 per cent, then not far from it in the results of games.
-Did you have aconversation with Rebrov?
- Yes, of course. The coaching staff works according to modern methods and we have a lot of both individual and group conversations. So, of course, we had conversations with Serhii Stanislavovych and other coaches.
- Is thenext step tobecome amain player in the national team? What do you need for that?
- This is my next goal. You need to work very hard, give 100 per cent, and the Lord God will help when the time comes. I believe I will get my chance and I will try to be ready for that moment.
- There areonly 10 days before the national team's training camp.Are you planning to have a rest somewhere?
- My girlfriend and I will spend a few days in the mountains in Austria, and then we will prepare individually for the training camp.
-What are yourhopes for the Euro? What can the national team achieve there?
- I think we will discuss this within the team. I believe that it is better to show and prove it on the pitch than to talk about it.
-You won a ticket to the Olympics as part of the youth team.Do you hope to play there too? Did Rotan talk to you about it?
- Ruslan Petrovich has not spoken to me personally about this yet. But this is a historic entry to the Olympics. And for me, like for everyone else, it would be a huge honour to play there. I will do my best to perform there. Anatoly Trubin recently said that it is an honour for him to defend the goal of the Olympic team, and it will be an honour for me to defend the goal of Anatoly Trubin (laughs).
I really hope that Ruslan Petrovich will choose me, I hope that we will be able to reach an agreement with the club and I will try to represent our country with dignity. In these difficult times, I am ready to play every day to show the world what Ukraine is all about.
Myron Heuchmann
