Head coach of Dynamo Kyiv Oleksandr Shovkovskyi spoke to the media as part of a regular press conference before the Europa League group stage match against Lazio Rome, which will take place tomorrow in Hamburg.
- What are your expectations from the new format of the main stage of the European Cup?
- In general, this is my first experience of playing in European tournaments as a head coach, so I don't know how it was in previous times. But this format is undoubtedly very interesting, and there have already been many comments on this, including about the heavy workloads that fall on players who not only defend the colors of their clubs but also play for their national teams. And we already have echoes of the fact that this schedule is very difficult, and the players simply do not have enough time to recover.
To this we must add that for our team, as well as for the Scandinavian countries, this format is quite inconvenient, because in January the teams do not play matches in their national championships. This also brings additional stress and difficulties, and we should not forget about the problems associated with our logistics due to the situation in our country. But it is very interesting to see how this new format will be implemented. There will be more matches against teams with different styles, and Lazio is a team that represents one of the strongest leagues in Europe and is fighting for the highest places in it. This season, the Romans won twice, lost twice, and drew once on the domestic scene. We are following their performances and expect an interesting match tomorrow.
- In recent matches, Lazio have had some problems in the defense phase. How do you plan to take advantage of them?
- In all the matches that Lazio have played in Serie A, they have scored in every game, but they have also conceded in every game. In the last match, it was two penalties, and with the latest innovations in the rules, we can debate a lot whether they were even there. But for us, first of all, it is important how the team builds its game in defense, in attack, what are the team's strengths and weaknesses. We communicate this to our players, and we build our strategy on this.
You should also understand that the situation in our country adds to our difficulties. We calculated that it took 19 hours from the moment we left the club's base until we arrived at the hotel in Hamburg.
- You had experience of playing against Lazio as a player, including playing against them in Rome. Do you think it will be a plus for Dynamo that the match will not take place on their territory?
- You have to understand that these are completely different situations - when you play and when you prepare the team for the match. This is the first thing. Secondly, a lot of time has passed since that period. And the format has changed, now there is no advantage of an away goal. Now all teams are planning and preparing, and the new format obliges them to play for victory in every game in order to take the highest possible place in order to continue to fight for the trophy itself.
- Of the eight goals that Lazio conceded this season, exactly half came in the first 15 minutes of the game. Can we expect an aggressive start from Dynamo?
- Do you think the game is over after 15 minutes? (Smiles). We expect an interesting game, which I hope the fans will enjoy. We need to stay focused throughout the game - both for 90 minutes and overtime.
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