Rukh captain Denys Pidhurskyi shared his impressions of the match against Dynamo in the 7th round of the Ukrainian championship.
Vladyslav Kabaev and Denys Pidhurskyi. Photo: fcrukh.com
- Denys, do you agree with the opinion of the journalists who said after the game that this was Rukh's best match in the current Ukrainian championship, if we take into account the quality of the game?
- No, I don't. We have had better matches. It's clear why we are being praised today - we played away to a Ukrainian football grande dame.
- In the first half, you didn't allow Dynamo to create much of anything near the goal. What were your strengths that allowed you to resist Dynamo?
- We dismantled Kyiv very well. I can make the following comparison: today the youth national team of Ukraine and the national team of Ukraine played at the Dynamo Stadium named after Valeriy Lobanovsky. Everyone knows that we have a lot of young people in our team. As far as I remember, Dynamo had 9 players called up to the national team in September.
The Dynamo vs Rukh match was given special attention, and I'm sure Serhii Rebrov watched the game. "In the first half, we wanted to start calmly, to act in positional defense. After all, it is known that Dynamo usually start playing aggressively at home, they want to score a quick goal. We tried to run out on quick counterattacks, and we created one good chance. The hosts did not have such a chance.
- Did the game open up in the second half?
- Yes, it did. It was very good. First of all, I would like to note the quality work of referee Vitaliy Romanov. He gave the players the opportunity to fight, set a certain level of struggle. There was a martial arts fight between the players - he doesn't just whistle. Today there was the Premier League in Kyiv. I would like other referees to judge like this, then there will be progress for the players. The football was active, there were no pauses - the intensity of the matches is growing. I hope that Vitaliy Romanov will referee the European Cup games.
- Are your partners satisfied with the point you scored?
- You know, even before the game, when we were talking to our partners, we said that we would like to look into each other's eyes after the final whistle without looking away. Everyone thanked each other. Of course, we would like to beat Dynamo Kyiv today. By beating our superclub, you grow as a player and the team progresses. We are satisfied with this match.
- On Wednesday, Dynamo starts in the Europa League. Lazio is waiting for them in Hamburg. Does the Ukrainian team have a chance to win this match?
- After the meeting, my partners and I talked to many Dynamo players - we have a great relationship. We wished them good luck in the upcoming match. We will be rooting for them in the European Cups. We need rating points. Today's Dynamo is a lot stronger than the team that played in the last Ukrainian championship. We saw Dynamo in the summer in the Champions League qualifiers and they looked quite decent there. I think they have a good chance to prove themselves in a prestigious tournament. They can make it to the playoffs.
- On the eve of the game of the main teams, the U-19 teams played in the capital of Ukraine. "Rukh lost to Dynamo with a humiliating score of 0:10. After all, back in May 2023, Rukh (U-19) was the champion of Ukraine. How could this happen?
- I will say the following: many of the guys from the U-19 team often train with the main Rukh team. I know these guys personally. We were traveling from Lviv to Kyiv by bus and we were watching the game of the youth teams on the tablet. I think I was more upset than they were.
I know that our management and the first team coaching staff have already made several decisions - there will be big changes. First of all, in discipline. The players will be punished. Yes, Rukh U-19 was the champion of Ukraine for two years in a row, but all the players have changed. We have a good academy. This will be a good lesson for our guys, and they will draw conclusions from this meeting. And if they don't draw conclusions after a 0-10 defeat, then they need to hang up their boots and do other things. It's good that age allows.
I've already talked to some of them, and in high tones. I hope that my older comrades will listen. If their attitude does not change, we will not take anyone to the main Rukh team, even for training. I can say this as the team captain.
