Oleksandr Shovkovskyi, head coach of Dynamo Kyiv, told a press conference before the return match with Salzburg Austria in the Champions League playoffs what he expects from this match.
Oleksandr Shovkovskyi. Photo — fcdynamo.com- First of all, I would like to echo what Vladimir Brazhko has just said: this morning we were all nervous because of the massive shelling in Ukraine. What has been happening in our country over the past ten years and two and a half years of Russia's full-scale invasion has left its mark on all our thoughts and feelings. We do not separate ourselves from Ukraine and our people, even though we are abroad. It is very difficult, and God willing, no one else will ever experience this.
I would also like to express my immense gratitude to our defenders for their work, for giving us the opportunity to play football and give us much-needed positive emotions. It's not easy, but we understand that it's much harder for them.
- Did you manage to accomplish everything you had planned between the first and second matches? How well is the team prepared for tomorrow's match?
- We have analyzed the result of the first match with a cold head, made certain conclusions and will strive to do everything in our power to solve the task we face.
- Are all the players ready to take the field tomorrow? Does no one have any injuries?
- You have probably already noticed that Vitaliy Buyalsky is not with us - unfortunately, he felt unwell after the match against Karpaty, he had a fever. Therefore, in order not to infect the team, he stayed in Ukraine and did not even join the team in Lublin in preparation for the first game. In addition, Volodymyr Shepelev and Maksym Dyachuk, who underwent surgery, were absent. By the way, three weeks have passed since then, and today he has already had his bandage removed and is recovering at our base in Kyiv. All the other players are ready to take the field either from the first minutes or as substitutes to do their best to achieve the result.
- How do you manage to concentrate on football matches given the events that are currently taking place in Ukraine?
- You have to understand one thing: as I said before, we never separate ourselves from the Ukrainian people. The situation is extremely difficult right now: many towns and villages are without power as critical infrastructure has been hit. In some cities, the air raid lasts for more than 15-16 hours, and in the frontline areas it is almost constant. Many of our defenders are football fans, they support Dynamo and other clubs, so we want to do everything we can to give them at least some positive emotions, because it is extremely important to them. Therefore, we will do everything in our power to perform well within the principles and rules of fair play and turn the tide of this match in our favor, regardless of how unfavorable the result of the first game was for us.
- Tomorrow, Dynamo players will have to give 200% to achieve a positive result and make it to the group stage of the Champions League. Is the team ready to show their best and outperform the opponent in their desire to win?
- To be honest, this is the best we can do. We hope to show that under any circumstances, in any situation, no matter what is happening around us, we will always go all the way and strive to do the best we can. No matter how difficult the situation is, we, Ukrainians, will never give up. I think this message is important for everyone. This was the case when our athletes competed at the Olympic Games, and I hope it will be the case everywhere and always.
