Former Dynamo Kyiv midfielder Bohdan Lednev, who joined Zhytomyr's Polissya last month, gave a detailed interview to the press service of his new club.
Bohdan Lednev. Photo — polissyafc.com- Bohdan, how are you? What's new?
- Everything is good. We are moving according to plan, preparing for the next game. Now we have a break to prepare well.
- Now there is a pause for the national teams' matches, did you have three days off, did you rest a little?
- Of course, three days were enough. We missed training already.
- Did it even happen? What did you do during those three days?
- I spent them with my family, because I live at the base and don't see my family often.
- How long have you been with Polissya?
- Well, a month, I guess.
- What were your first impressions when you got to Polissia?
- Well, of course, I had heard a lot about Polissia and the base, but when I saw it live, of course, everything is much bigger than everyone told me.
- A month later, how have your impressions changed?
- No, I get high every day from the process, from how professionally everything is built here, there is everything to work and progress. Every week something new is added here, some novelties that are interesting and useful for everyone. Even after my arrival, a bar counter has already appeared here, where we are served sports drinks before and after training. Everything is ready for us, it's very professional.
- In other words, you added a bar?
- Yes, we added a bar.
- Only the drinks there are so good. Is there anything in Polissia that you haven't seen in other teams?
- There is a lot of it, really, everything is at a high level. Judging by Ukrainian standards, it's at a very high level. And I have never seen anything so professional and harmonious in any team.
- In fact, your life has been very busy lately, hasn't it? No sooner have you transferred than you have a debut, no sooner have you made your debut than you have a debut goal. Be honest, what's more important - your debut game or your debut goal?
- The goal, of course. For an attacking player, a goal gives you confidence and you want to score as many as possible. Of course, it's the fourth game and I would like to score as soon as possible, but it is what it is. I am glad to have scored the first goal, I will continue to work to score many more in the next matches.
- Let's talk about your debut game. When you were informed that you would play against Shakhtar, what was your reaction? At that time, you hadn't been with the team for very long, just a few days, conditionally.
- I was training under an individual program, and I missed football a lot. When the first game took place, I was very motivated and looking forward to it. I had so many positive emotions.
- But remember your entrance to the field, what were your first thoughts, what were your emotions, what were you worried about the most?
- To be honest, there was no excitement, there was a game, we scored and we had to come out and help the team. My thoughts were only about that, there was no excitement.
- Are you generally satisfied with the way you played?
- I am satisfied in general that we won the first match and beat Shakhtar right away. It's great for the team and for me, and I'm happy with my game, in general.
- Listen, does beating Shakhtar give you any additional motivation as a former Dynamo player?
- Well, there is such a moment. We've had a rivalry with Shakhtar since I was 19, and, of course, it's nice to beat them.
- What is better, scoring a goal or passing?
- Scoring a goal.
- What is better, scoring a goal or giving two assists?
- Well, probably a goal.
- Scoring a goal for Dynamo or scoring a goal for Zorya?
- Probably Dynamo.
- If you score a goal for Dynamo, do you celebrate or not?
- Not to celebrate, because this club has given me a lot, I have a great relationship with the guys, with the management and coaching staff. I have no resentment, only respect. I plan to score, God willing, but I won't celebrate.
- How did your time at Dynamo turn out for you?
- Definitely very interesting, because there were many things that happened for the first time: The Champions League, the first championship. One year, we won the treble, I won all the prizes that were possible in one year. And it was all for the first time, so, of course, the emotions were fantastic that season.
- Where are your gold medals? The Cup, the Super Cup and the championship?
- They're all at home, at my parents'.
- At your parents' place? Do you have a special corner there?
- A corner, yes, with shirts from my debut game in the Champions League. There's a lot of stuff there.
- What is the most valuable thing for you there?
- I don't know, probably the champion's medal and the T-shirt from my debut game in the Champions League.
- Who was the game against?
- Against Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
- It was great to make my Champions League debut against Barcelona. A dream for every footballer.
- At the Camp Nou, yes. Very cool, everything worked out.
- Tell us. What are your impressions of the stadium when it's filled to capacity?
- We had two Champions League games. At the first one, there were no fans due to COVID, when we played our debut match, but it was still Messi. And in the second year, we played in the group again, but with fans, there was no Messi, but it was still very cool.
- How does it feel to play with Messi? Against Messi?
- It was cool. The man is at a fantastic level. Here you see him only on TV, you watch some clips of him on your phone, and here he runs around you - it's very cool.
- You know, when you watch Messi play, as you say, on the phone or on TV, it's a fantastic experience, but what does it look like from the inside?
- Even more fantastic. The way he works with the ball, his understanding of the game... You can say everything about him. He is the best player in history.
- Did you start or come on as a substitute?
- No, I came on as a substitute.
- When you heard the Champions League anthem at the Camp Nou, did you get goosebumps?
- Well, I think that when you start, it has a much stronger effect. There is something to grow to in order to start in the Champions League matches.
- What did you think about when you came on as a substitute at the Camp Nou? Was it my dream come true or did you have any other thoughts?
- Yes, I can say that it is a dream for every footballer to play at this level. Especially since my favorite club is Barcelona, it was cool that I made my debut at this stadium.
- It was like a dream. Who exchanged shirts with Messi?
- Oh, there was a fight, there were a lot of contenders. The legionnaires we had were the ones who negotiated more. They wrote off the guys who had some contact with Messi. And it was already agreed there.
- And with whom did you change then?
- I didn't have time to change with anyone. I never managed to change because those with whom I wanted to change were all sold out.
- Who are they? Let's list them. With whom I could have changed.
- I wanted to. With Messi, of course, with Coutinho, Garizman, there was Ronaldo from Juventus, but he ran away very quickly to the supporters. But there were a lot of crazy players, and we had very good teams and very good players. The first year was Barcelona, Juventus. Ronaldo, Messi, and a bunch of stars. The second year, it was Barcelona and Bayern Munich again, with superstars as well. It's a bit of a shame that I couldn't change with anyone.
- What do such matches with the giants give you? Apart from experience, what else do they add? Maybe some motivation when you realize that you can reach the same level?
- First of all, such matches give you confidence, because when you come back from such matches and then play in the Ukrainian championship, you look much better. It will be said loudly: the level, but, of course, it is lower. You play better in the league after such matches.
- Is the Champions League a space, a level?
- Yes, it is. A very high level. There are such players playing there that show you what you need to grow up to.
- Fans ask why you couldn't play for Dynamo Kyiv, what prevented you and what didn't work out?
- When I came to Dynamo, I had a very good season at Zorya before. There were certain expectations that were not met. I don't want to say that the coach didn't set them. It was also the case, but I guess the reasons were also in me. There was a strong contrast between when you are the main player and the whole team plays for you and when you are not even in the lineup. And for a certain period of time, it hit my psychology very hard.
But then the situation leveled off, there were certain stages. For a week or two, it was not very good, but then I realized that I had to keep working, because no one will give you a chance to go out and play regardless of your condition. I think at the training camp I was always looking good, scoring a lot, but somehow it didn't work out. At the same time, I didn't want to sit in one place and just get the salary I had at Dynamo or just sit and enjoy being a player at Dynamo Kyiv, but not play. I was constantly moving. Here, I don't make the squad - I go on loan and play. My priority was to play, not just sit at Dynamo and be happy that everything was cool.
- You said it was hard psychologically. How do you avoid slipping into depression?
- Only work, there is no other way out, because in such teams no one will give you any chances and put you in for nothing.
- Was Bohdan Lednev at his strongest when he came from Zorya to Dynamo?
- I think not.
- And when was he the strongest?
- I think that over the years, a lot has been added in terms of experience and understanding of the game, and before it was more on some instincts. When you're young, you don't have the experience to assess the situation in advance or anything like that. Now, in principle, there is some enthusiasm left and my head works a little differently on the field.
- Have you become wiser?
- Well, you could say that.
- Fans ask how training at Dynamo and Polissia differs dramatically.
- Basically, the idea is that we cover long distances in training in order to come to the game in the same tone and do the same in games. But, of course, each coach has his own ideas, vision of the game, tactics for the game. And, in principle, there are a lot of similarities, and at the same time a lot of differences.
- What is your best goal in your career?
- If you look at the beauty, it's the goal against Espanyol in the Europa League, when I scored a very cool goal. I really liked it.
- And in terms of importance?
- To be honest, there would be too many important matches to single out one. I can say that it is a pleasure to score against teams like Shakhtar. I scored against them a couple of times, in big games.
- Tell me, you found a new team in August. Why did this search process take so long?
- This was the first time in my life that I was a free agent. I had my hands free to choose a team and I was very careful about it to get exactly where I could progress and move on.
- Have you ever been a free agent before?
- No.
- And how does it feel to be a free agent?
- Well, there are different stages of being a free agent. When no one wants you, it's very hard. And when you have room to maneuver, it's cool in this position. And if you just find yourself without a team and you have no further path, then, of course, it's very hard.
- Did you get a lot of offers?
- Yes, quite a few. And I say that it took so long because I had to choose the club where I could grow further as a footballer.
- Why did you choose Polissia? What was the deciding factor?
- Well, to be honest, in Ukraine, in principle, there were many clubs where I could have gone. But in Ukraine, I didn't consider any options other than Polissia. I talked more with foreign clubs. That is, in Ukraine I considered only Polissia.
- And what championships were there abroad, if we don't talk about specific clubs?
- MLS was...
- Did Messi call you to America?
- No, it would be cool to play with him in a team. But, no, not Messi.
- I wonder why you didn't choose MLS?
- I think it's too early for me to go there. I'm still at the age when I want to prove myself well in Ukraine and move to a good European championship.
- You reminded me of the story with Ronald Koeman, who did not invite Bergwein to the national team because he moved to Saudi Arabia. He said that if a player at that age moves to Saudi Arabia, it has nothing to do with ambition.
- That's right.
- You agree, right?
- I also had options for Saudi Arabia.
- Really? MLS, Saudi Arabia?
- I feel like I'm 30 years old.
- Listen, but you played abroad in Fejervar, right?
- Yes, I played for Fejervar.
- Wasn't it during the period with Petriak?
- Yes, we were all together: me, Petriak, Shabanov, and Makarenko.
- Oh, so there was a Ukrainian guard there. How was it playing, share your impressions, was it your first foreign championship there?
- It was very easy, because there were a lot of my guys there, it would probably have been much harder if I had gone there alone. And so, in principle, the language is quickly picked up.
- Hungarian?
- No, God forbid. It's like Chinese.
- English, you mean?
- English, yes. We had a lot of legionnaires in our team and everyone spoke English, including the coach. When you're in this process, you learn the language very quickly and understand everything quickly. And especially since there were also guys, it was great.
- Apart from your linguistic skills, what else did the Hungarian championship and Fehervar give you? What kind of championship is this, if you compare it to the UPL, is it stronger or weaker?
- It is more open. No one sits in a blind defense, as some teams in Ukraine like to do. Everyone there plays on the opposite courses. And it's probably interesting for the fans and for the players too. Because you don't have to pick up a million keys to get past the defense, but there is space and you can maneuver in that space. There are good teams there, if you take Ferencvaros, it's the same level as Dynamo and Shakhtar, give or take. "Pushkas Academy, Fehervar, the same. There are top four teams there, which, in principle, are the same level as ours, the first six.
- Why did you come back to Ukraine? Why didn't you stay in Europe? If not the Hungarian league, then what?
- Because I returned to Dynamo. I thought that maybe this time I would succeed. But there were slightly different circumstances.
- Do you regret coming back to Ukraine?
- I have no regrets. In fact, when I arrived at the training camp, everything was going well, but then I got a serious injury and was out for 4.5 months.
- What kind of injury was it?
- A fracture of the fibula.
- Was it during training or where did you get injured?
- No, I just broke it twice in a year. When I returned from Hungary, I broke it for the first time at the training camp with Dynamo. And then, when Dnipro-1 bought me in the winter, I broke it again.
- Fans have a lot of questions about your style. Why did you change your hairstyle?
- I don't know, I've been wearing this hairstyle for a long time and I wanted to dilute it a bit.
- People say you look like Beckham. I just don't know, do they mean in appearance or in the way you play?
- Well, in principle, both, it's not bad.
- Can you score great goals from the center of the field?
- Well, I haven't scored from the center of the pitch, but I've scored a lot of free kicks.
- Since we're on the topic of style, why do footballers like tattoos so much?
- I wouldn't say that it's only footballers nowadays, it's generally popular. Well, I agree that there are a lot of them, but the culture has come to such an extent that a lot of ordinary people also get tattoos. If you walk around the city, I think every fourth person has a tattoo now.
- A question from the fans. Do you invest in crypto?
- I have a couple of coins.
- What do you do in your free time away from football?
- I spend almost all my time with my family and friends. We stay at home, or I go to my parents' house, or we go out with friends and eat - that's it. There's not a lot of time.
- How many goals do you need to score? How do you need to play in the team to be satisfied with the season?
- Well, in principle, if you look at our results now, if we don't slow down, then we can think about the first place, why not? As for my performance, I have a goal of 10 plus goals. I think it will be good, I will be satisfied.
