Dynamo U-19 captain Nazar Balaba shared his impressions of the championship medal ceremony that took place at the Football House in Kyiv.
Nazar Balaba. Photo: fcdynamo.com- Nazar, it's clear that the emotions have calmed down a bit, but it's probably always nice to win gold medals, isn't it?
- Of course, everyone is happy now. We worked hard for this, throughout the season, to win the championship. Indeed, some time has passed since our last game last season, but it's still nice - a medal is a medal.
- UAF President Andriy Shevchenko gave you parting words. How important are they for young footballers, will you listen to them?
- These are very important words. Of course, it is important to listen and heed a person of such a scale as Andriy Mykolayovych. He is a legend of Ukrainian football, and if he says something, I think he knows that it should be so. He gave us motivation, said that we need to work and be disciplined - we will do our best.
- In preparation for the season, Dynamo went to an international tournament in the Czech Republic. How interesting was it?
- It is important to have experience of European games. The championship is one level, and playing in the international arena is a completely different one. Since we will be playing in the UEFA Youth League, it was important to go and play against European teams, see what their level is, and, of course, prepare for the new season ourselves.
- In the first round, the team played a difficult match in Oleksandriia, showing character and pulling out a victory. How would you assess the team's readiness for the season?
- I think we will get fitter with each match, but I said last season that we have a team with character, and no matter what the conditions are, we will fight to the end in every match.
- What are your expectations from the UEFA Youth League?
- Let's move from match to match. I hope we will perform well and represent the club and the country with dignity. We will do everything for this.
