Former Ukrainian national team player Taras Mykhalyk told how Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Konoplyanka wanted to make a joke about former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. This story took place at the training camp before Euro 2012.
"Yanukovych, the country's guarantor at the time, came to our Dynamo base. He wanted to meet with the team before the championship. The meeting took place on the training field. We had a warm-up with balls while we were waiting for him.
Yarmolenko and Konoplyanka wanted to throw the ball between his legs as he was leaving. And one of the guys said: "Imagine if he stumbles over the ball, falls and breaks his head."
Yanukovych just came, met with us, said some parting words, and took a photo together. It was nothing special. I just remember this story, when Zheka and Andriyukha wanted to throw him the ball on a dare. And he just passed it. Maybe it would have been better if he had stumbled somewhere good like that," Mykhailyk said.