Former Ukrainian national team defender Artem Fedetsky told us what he thinks about the career of the famous Ukrainian midfielder Yevhen Konoplyanka, who turns 35 today.
Artem Fedetsky- What was your first meeting with Konoplyanka and what was your first impression of him?
- He's such a cheerful guy, almost always in a good mood. The most pleasant impressions. The first meeting on the field? "Karpaty vs Dnipro, when we were still in different teams, and Konoplyanka himself was very young and played under the number 42. I was going for a tackle, and Zhenia stepped on my thigh a little bit. That was our first contact moment in the game.
- Who was driving who on the flank then?
- Zhenya was just starting his football career and was "growing muscles". He was young and could not yet "drive" me, he was just getting in shape. I remember something else. Before the national team's playoff matches with France, when Ribery was my opponent on the field, I asked Juande Ramos to put me against Zhenya in tactical training so that I could get used to non-standard tricks. We can say that Konoplyanka directly prepared me for the confrontation with Ribery.
- And it worked, especially in the first meeting.
- Everyone remembers this match in this context. I will say that I personally was not completely satisfied with myself in that match. Yes, I was reliable in defense, but I had to help Yarmolenko in the attack. Although I made so many runs during my career in the national team, I received passes from him only a few times. Thanks to me, Yarmolenko became one of the best scorers of the national team (Laughs).
- Returning to Konoplyanka, what can you say about him as a person? Apart from his sense of humor, which everyone knows about.
- Many people believe that Konoplyanka had some kind of star disease, but in fact he is a simple person. In the team, he is the soul of the company, and together with Zozulia, they were always making up some jokes. Zhenya is always positive, straightforward, without any backstage games. He is a cool person and a great football player. He deserved his stardom with his work on the field, and I don't know when we will see a new Konoplyanka in the football orbit.
- What do you know about Konoplyanka's unsuccessful transfer to Liverpool?
- Half of Europe was chasing Zhenya at the time, but unfortunately, Kolomoisky did not let him go to Liverpool. This situation happened right in front of me when Dnipro returned from training camp in Spain. There was already a charter flight with the Liverpool emblem at the Dnipro airport. He went with the Merseysiders' management for a medical examination, but it didn't work out. It's a shame, because I think Kono would have done great in England.
- Do you think Liverpool would have suited him better than Sevilla later?
- Different periods. When Liverpool and other European giants were interested in him, Konoplyanka was at the peak of his form and had to leave Dnipro. Kolomoisky did not sell him then, and after a while Konoplyanka left for free. The moment was lost and part of Yevhen's playing flash faded away. In the English Championship, he could have progressed further.
- But without Konoplyanka, could Dnipro not have reached the Europa League final?
- It is possible, as they say, what goes around comes around. If we look at purely football issues, the transfer would have been a plus for Konoplyanka, and a minus for Dnipro. It happened as it happened, we reached the final with Konoplyanka, and Zhenya contributed a lot to this success. Yevhen could do anything in the attack, play through the left and right sides. His right foot was his working foot, but he also passed with his left and scored great goals. As a defender, I can say that it is very difficult to act against such players, especially given his excellent speed and technique.
- Why didn't Kolomoisky let Konoplyanka go to Liverpool back then?
- Kolomoisky is such a person that it is difficult to understand him.
- What is the most vivid memory associated with Yevhen?
- Absolutely everything. Every day, training, match. Being in the national team or Dnipro, family vacations. Zhenya is very easy to communicate with, what to say about his sense of humor. His emotions are all positive.
Unfortunately, Zhenya decided to end his career, age and injuries, but what can you do. Let's hope that there will be new Konoplyankas, but unfortunately, I don't see them on the radar now. If we had Konoplyanka in peak form in the current national team, he would have strengthened this team by 25-30 percent for sure.
- But he plays in the position of Mudryk. How to deal with this? Who would have played in the center?
- Misha would sit on the bench and learn how to play. I don't understand the "hype" around Mudryk. Yes, he has certain skills, but we are talking primarily about the price tag. Yes, Shakhtar are handsome, they had to sell Mykhailo for 100 million! This is the prime approach of the club's management.
They say that Mudryk is the next Konoplyanka. In my opinion, he has no chance yet. To be Konoplyanka, I don't know how much work you have to do. Yes, Mudryk is a professional, he works on himself, tries to develop, but he is not even close to Konoplyanka in his best times.
- Has Konoplyanka realized his potential, and if not, why not?
- I think not. If Zhenya had joined Liverpool, everything would have been completely different. I saw how Zhenya looked at that moment. He would have received a new challenge and shown his best qualities in the Premier League. And now there would be no question of retirement, he would still be playing. Unfortunately, it so happened that he stayed at Dnipro. It was fortunate for the club, as they would have learned to play without Konoplyanka in the team.
But in a club with such traditions and crazy fans as Liverpool, Konoplyanka would have revealed himself even more and would not have warmed the bench there. There was a stir in the press: Tottenham wanted him, Liverpool wanted him, Zhenya saw it all. Konoplyanka was ready to move to a more serious championship, but one person decided otherwise. Then Liverpool lost interest, recruited other players for his position, and Zhenya left for Sevilla as a free agent.
- What would you like to wish Yevhen for his birthday?
- I'll tell you what I wish him personally. In general, I wish him well-being, family happiness, and success in his agency work. He is a decent person and knows how to be humane and honest with players. Young players will rely on him for protection. Let him try and develop. Let him discover new Konoplyanoks and Yarmolenkos, so that it all benefits Ukraine. Let him always stay positive, because when you remember his "jokes", a smile immediately appears on your face.
Ihor Lysenko
