Former Dynamo Kyiv and Scottish Rangers player Oleksiy Mykhailychenko told what he expects from the clash between his former teams in the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League.
Oleksii Mykhailichenko"Rangers called me on the eve of the first game against Partizan and invited me to attend the match. They had no doubt that Dynamo would go further."
- Oleksiy Oleksandrovych, what do you expect from the first match between Dynamo and Rangers, who do you see as the favorite?
- I really want Dynamo to be the favorite. It's hard for me to say what the current Rangers are like, because I haven't seen their matches this season and I don't know how they've prepared. But I have seen Dynamo. Against Partizan, the Kyiv team showed a very good and meaningful game.
I hope that against Rangers our players will also show their best. However, it will definitely not be a cakewalk. It will be hard. There is a lot at stake: both the sporting and financial component of qualifying for the Champions League group.
- Dynamo left Partizan no chance. Who did you like in the game among the Kyiv players?
- I liked the team play. The first match with Partizan started with a mistake, a penalty, but Dynamo showed character, did not succumb to provocations and won confidently. In the second match, the Kyiv team also confirmed their level.
- Dynamo's main center back Maksym Dyachuk will not play in the match against Rangers. Who do you think will replace him?
- I am very familiar with the shoulder injury. I didn't play in the 1990 World Cup because of it. My recovery took about one and a half to two months. I wish Dyachuk only health and a speedy return to the field, but against Rangers he will definitely not help the team.
I think that Bilovar, who played against Partizan, will play against the Scottish team instead. But this will be decided only by Shovkovskyi. Center back is a very important position where you have to do a lot of work.
- Is Rangers a typical British team that will rely on longballs?
- This is a stereotype. Everything has changed now. It was probably true back in 1991 when I joined Rangers. Although even in my time, the Scottish club mostly played through ball control, because we had a lot of foreigners plus three England players.
Today, Rangers is definitely not a typical British team. They are coached by the Belgian Philippe Clement and have a lot of legionnaires. In general, it is difficult to find a team in the UK that plays in the English style. There are only teams like that in the lower leagues.
- How can Dynamo overcome Rangers?
- First of all, it will be a struggle of characters. The first successful pass, the first won fight, the first shot - such moments give confidence. I think Dynamo will have a speed advantage and should take advantage of it.
- Will you come to Glasgow for the return leg?
- Yes, I will definitely go to this game and cheer for our guys. Rangers called me on the eve of the first game with Partizan and invited me to attend the match at Ibrox against Dynamo. They had no doubt that Dynamo would advance. "These are two of my closest teams, but Dynamo is No. 1 in my heart.
"I have never regretted joining Rangers! It's like I ended up at Dynamo-2."
- Now let's talk about your time in Scotland. How did your move from Sampdoria to Rangers go?
- The negotiations between the clubs were very difficult. My transfer is one of the most high-profile transfers in the UK. They paid about 2.8 million pounds for me, which was a lot of money at the time. "Rangers was the richest club in the UK at the time and could afford such a transfer.
I was already 28 years old, and when I realized that Sampdoria was not counting on me, I immediately agreed to join Rangers. And I have never regretted it!
I got to Dynamo-2!
- Is Rangers really at the level of the reserve team?
- No, not in that sense. The Scottish club had the same very warm relations and relationships with everyone. And Rangers, like Dynamo, is a winning club. This is the second closest team to me in my career.
Do you know what Dynamo's strength was? Yes, there were great players in the Kyiv team, but first of all, the strength of the team was in the relationships. We never envied each other's successes, but always helped each other. Rangers had the same atmosphere.
- When you joined Rangers, Oleg Kuznetsov was already playing there.
- Oleg helped me a lot in my adaptation, because at first I didn't know a single word of English. Although Scotland has a specific accent and the language of Durrant and McCoist, I did not understand it even when I learned English (Laughs).
- What was the training process like at Rangers compared to Dynamo?
- For me, it was a resort compared to Dynamo. "Rangers is the best team to finish your career with. (Laughs). The training camp was very hard, on the first day we almost ran Cooper's tests, and then during the season the training was not so intense because there were so many matches. If you survived a month of training, then it was very easy: jogging, acceleration, then a game and rest.
- In your first season, you became the best player in the Scottish Championship. What do you remember from that period?
- There was incredible tension in the matches against Celtic, because it was Rangers' irreconcilable rival. I scored three goals against the Celts, but I remember the derby on New Year's Day, December 31, the most. On this day, the most important, New Year's derby takes place. I scored a double at Celtic Park, another goal was scored by Kuznetsov, and we won 4-2.
Rangers head coach Walter Smith said after the match: "Yes, don't touch the Ukrainians for a week! Let them do what they want. They deserve it". He was a great uncle and a great specialist, may he rest in peace.
"After our victories, Conner rejoiced like a child, hugging the players. We were like stars for him."
- What traditions did Rangers have?
- "I won the championship five times with Rangers and every time we won the championship, they played Tina Turner's song 'The Best' on the bus. The whole team sang, even those who didn't know the words. I remember this moment and even now, many years later, I still get goosebumps.
- Who were some of Rangers' star fans?
- Rod Stewart was a Celtic fan, and Sean Connery was a Rangers fan. I remember that after the championship he came to the locker room, and we even managed to exchange a few words. Sean wished us luck and praised our game. Connery is a very nice person without any star disease. After our victories, he rejoiced like a child, hugging the players. We were like stars for him.
- Tell us about the Scottish fans.
- I was delighted with them. After Sampdoria, I immediately noticed the difference. For example, Rangers played a cup match against a Second League team, but the stadium was packed to capacity! Fans in Scotland don't go to see an opponent, they go to see their teams.
The matches usually started on Saturday at four in the afternoon. On their way to the stadium, the fans stop at every bar along the way, and they arrive at Ibrox hot. They cheer, scream, and then go back through the pubs again (Laughs ). For Glaswegians, going to a football game is a religion. On Sunday it's church, and on Saturday it's Ibrox.
I have never had any conflicts with Rangers or Celtic fans. I have a lot of respect for Scottish fans. I like this nation because they are very open, sincere and friendly, just like Ukrainians. The English are more prim and arrogant, and this reminds me of the Russians. Scotland and Vietnam are the only countries in the world that have not conquered anyone.
Dynamo players need to prepare for the fact that the support of Rangers in Glasgow will be very strong. To win, you have to play not until the last minute, but until the final whistle.
"The coach brought me a bottle of beer. I looked at it and said: "I don't drink that kind of beer." He changed it to another one. Kuznetsov stands in shock: "Can you imagine what would have happened if you had said that to Lobanovsky?"
- Three years after you arrived, the Rangers signed Brian Laudrup and then Paul Gascoigne. What kind of relationship did you have with them?
- Very good! Laudrup always looked at me as a senior comrade. Once he asked me where he should go on vacation. I recommended the Puente Romano resort in Marbella, where we often vacationed with Kuznetsov. He came back satisfied and thanked me very much for the recommendation. Laudrup is a great player and a decent person.
Gascoigne is an orchestra man. When he first comes in, you start laughing.
- Have you treated Laudrup and Co. to bacon or vodka?
- Whenever I came from Ukraine, I always brought vodka and black caviar with me. My Rangers teammates couldn't stand it and said: "Stop bringing that stuff, we don't eat it!" (Laughs). Vialli at Sampdoria asked me to bring black caviar, he liked it.
- You didn't drink beer with Gascoigne, because he's a fan of this drink?
- Not personally with him. But we often got together with the whole team and the coaching staff for lunch and could drink beer. It was normal. One day, I was standing with Kuznetsov in a restaurant and the assistant head coach Archie Knox came up to me: "Chanks (that's what he called me), would you like a beer?" - "I would." He brings me a bottle. I looked at it and said: "I don't drink this stuff." Knox immediately: "No problem, I'll change it right now." He brings me another one. Kuznetsov is shocked: "Can you imagine what would happen if you said that to Lobanovsky or Puzach?"
I also remembered an interesting story.
- Here it is.
- One Christmas, Walter Smith and Archie Knox gathered the team for a training session. We all stood there unhappy, grumbling: "What kind of training on Christmas? We're supposed to kick balls?" Archie says: "I've already got one." We go out on the field and there's a big ice bucket with six bottles of champagne in it. Everyone was given glasses, poured a drink and we went around the field drinking champagne.
After the lap, Archie said: "Well, is training over?". The whole team chorused: "No, coach, let's do some more". We poured it again and left. The atmosphere was great!
- Where did you live in Glasgow?
- The club rented us a house outside the city. My neighbors were Ian Durrant and Oleg Kuznetsov. There was an Italian restaurant not far from us, the owner of which was a Rangers fan and adored me. Whenever I went there, there was always a table for me, even if there were no seats. So I had somewhere to go in my free time.
"I had one offer from Ukraine, but I refused and ended my career as a player. I wanted to stay in the memory of the fans as Mykhailychenko - a high-level player."
- Rangers was your last club in your playing career. Did you think about playing again?
- I wanted to play again, but I didn't want to go down to a lower level after Dynamo, Sampdoria and Rangers. I had one offer from Ukraine, but I refused and ended my career as a player. I wanted to remain in the memory of the fans as Mykhailychenko - a high-level player.
- Did they offer you to stay at Rangers?
- Yes, they did. I'll tell you about one incident to make you understand why Rangers is my home team. I had a four-year contract with the Scottish club. In the last year, I got injured and had two surgeries, playing only seven or eight matches a season. Laudrup was bought in my place, and Gascoigne came in. I was well aware that my time was running out.
Then Walter Smith came to me and said: "Let's extend the contract for another year. Just bring your and your family's passports." I agreed and brought them, although I didn't even know what they would do with them. A week later, Smith called me in, gave me the passports back, and said: "Congratulations. You and your family are now British residents." In my fifth year at Rangers, I was no longer considered a legionnaire.
- Did they offer you to stay on as a coach later?
- Yes, I was offered to start with the youth team, but I really wanted to return to my homeland, Ukraine. This is my home, my family, my friends. I love Scotland very much, but Ukraine is above all for me. Later, Lobanovsky invited me to join his coaching staff at Dynamo.
We talked about it right after my return, but Valeriy Vasilyevich is a very decent person and didn't purposely remove anyone to make room for me. I joined his staff only when Onishchenko left to work for Metalurh Donetsk and Zuev took over the second team at Dynamo.
Andriy Piskun
