Last Wednesday, July 31, in the return match of the 2nd qualifying round of the Champions League, Dynamo Kyiv defeated Partizan Belgrade 3-0 and advanced to the next stage of the tournament on the basis of the sum of two meetings (6-2, 3-0). Here is the post-match press conference with the head coach of the Ukrainian team, Oleksandr Shovkovskyi.
Oleksandr Shovkovskyi- I congratulate all the fans of our team on the victory. We have made a very important step in solving our problem, but we have not yet fully solved it.
This victory has an unpleasant aftertaste, as one of our players (Maksym Dyachuk - ed.) was very seriously injured and will be out for quite a long time. Unfortunately. I take every such situation to heart, because I treat players almost like a father. We don't know the details yet, but we are worried together with him.
- What's wrong with Volodymyr Brazhko? Why didn't he play today?
- Unfortunately, last night there was a situation that resulted in a minor injury - a cut. He needed two stitches in his leg, so we had to change the lineup on the fly.
It was nothing, Volodymyr was ready to play, but we didn't want any complications, and the result of the first match allowed us to change the tactical scheme a bit. After all, it was a minor surgery, and we wanted to avoid the risk of infection for him. In short, we just saved him for the upcoming match.
- What are your impressions of your stay in Serbia? How do you feel here?
- We were very well received here, there were no problems. In fact, the President of Ukraine thanked your country, the authorities and the people for the support provided to our people in this difficult situation we found ourselves in. We were also doing well.
- With the first two official matches of the current season behind us, how would you assess the team's performance and are you fully satisfied with the way you have prepared for the season?
- As a coach, I see room for improvement. And we will always work on it. If I am completely satisfied, I need to finish my coaching career, which has just begun. In general, I am satisfied, first of all, with the understanding, attitude, internal motivation of the players and the team we are building. A team is a collection of players, and a team is a single organism. These are the moments that inspire us to keep working, to set ambitious plans and move towards them.
As for the team's readiness, I will say this: if in the last minutes we have one winger passing the ball and the other winger scoring, it means that the team is functionally ready.
