A well-known Ukrainian journalist Mykola Neseniuk dedicated a post on Facebook to nostalgic memories of the Champions Cup.
Mykola NeseniukSometimes you realize how life has changed quite unexpectedly. Indeed, what is particularly interesting now that Dynamo Kyiv has managed to beat Partizan Belgrade and Rangers Glasgow in the Champions League qualifiers in three weeks, and today will play its next opponent, RB Salzburg? Now it's normal, but once upon a time, the entire autumn part of the Champions Cup consisted of four matches with two opponents - one of the sixteenth final in September-October, and one of the eighth final in October-November. If the team was successful, it would advance to the quarterfinals, which took place in March.
At that time, the "poster", i.e. the names of the opponents Dynamo had just beaten, was quite decent - both Partizan and Rangers were teams with a name and a serious reputation. Somewhere in the seventies or eighties, these four matches would have been enough for us to spend six months discussing certain moments of the matches, arguing, considering an infinite number of options for the possible development of further events. In short, every game of this level was an exceptional event back then and would forever remain in football history and fans' memories.
Now it's not the same - you don't have time to properly enjoy one victory, you have to win a new one tomorrow! There is no other way - they will overtake and overtake, leaving you on the sidelines of major tournaments to swallow dust and look at the backs of those to whom you lost!
Gone are the old days when Dynamo fans seriously and not without reason discussed their team's chances of winning the Champions Cup. Now the task is different - just to get into the Champions League to be among those who fight for the main football trophy for at least four months. There is no time to think about strategy - you just have to catch the bus to the next game!
Or maybe it's a good thing? After all, we now have the opportunity to enjoy Dynamo's game twice a week, cheering for the team and wanting it to win. And we no longer have to wait months for the decisive matches of European cups.
Today, Dynamo will play another difficult opponent. And even if it's not the quarterfinals yet, it's definitely a step towards it!
Mykola NESENYUK
