Former U-17 coach Volodymyr Tsytykin spoke about his former ward, Oleksandriya midfielder Ivan Kalyuzhnyi, who received his debut call-up to the Ukrainian national team.
Vladimir Tsitkin- How did you react to the news of Kalyuzhny's call-up to the Ukrainian national team? Were you surprised?
- My emotions are very positive. It is always nice for a coach when a player he has worked with is called up to the national team. This is a very positive moment for me, because all the coaches with whom the players work give them something. It is an honor for me.
- Rebrov did not call up the experienced Sydorchuk, preferring Kalyuzhnyi. Do you agree with Oleksandr Kucher's words that Ivan is now the best holding midfielder in Ukraine after Brazhko and Stepanenko?
- It's hard to say. Vanya is in very good shape now, in a team that is on the move. This is a logical decision of the coaching staff, because Brazhko and Stepanenko are injured. Today, Kalyuzhnyi is one of the best fullbacks in Ukraine, but the problem is stability.
Oleksandriya is on the move now, but it won't be like this all the time. We will have to look at the prospects. If Kalyuzhnyi can keep up the level that gives him a call-up to the national team, he won't stay in Rotan's team. Now there are not very many defenders with such a game in the selection, not only in Ukraine but also in Europe.
- Kalyuzhnyi arrived in the national team at a very difficult moment: after two rounds - 0 points, a number of injured leaders. Against this background, can Ivan show his best qualities?
- It's a difficult period for the national team, and Vanya is a new person there, a player who is in great shape. A crisis is a time for change. I think that if it were not for a series of injuries to the leaders, then hardly anyone would have talked about Kalyuzhny being called up to the national team. Today he has been given a very serious chance, but the question is how he will use it. I think this situation in the national team is the best for him.
- I would like to know under what circumstances you got acquainted with the future collection.
- I started calling him up to the U-17 team in 2014. I saw him in the Kharkiv Metalist team, which won the first Ukrainian youth championship. Vanya was one of the leaders of that team, he played center back, but in my national team he acted exclusively as a holding midfielder.
- Kalyuzhnyi's main trump cards are...?
- He is characterized by his character - he is a real fighter on the field. Kalyuzhnyi was also noticeably distinguished by his physical data, he did a lot of work at the children's level. But he also has some shortcomings - he doesn't play with his head very well, there are questions about tactical moments.
- Why do you think Kalyuzhnyi failed to gain a foothold in Dynamo's structure?
- He did not stay at Metalist and moved to Dynamo Kyiv in 2015. After his transfer to the capital's giants, there was a period when Vanya dramatically lowered his standards. This led to the fact that I stopped calling him to the youth team. I had him in my squad, but he dropped out of the starting lineup.
- There was a period when Kalyuzhnyi, having a contract with Dynamo, played for the team of Zolochiv district in the Kharkiv regional championship. So, for Ivan, playing practice is more important than the status of the club he is in?
- It's hard to say, because I've seen Vanya for a long time. Kalyuzhnyi had problems with game discipline, troubles at Dynamo, but I think he outgrew it. It's not surprising that he kept fit in the Kharkiv region competitions, he's from Kharkiv region. I think he did everything right, because his decisions led to where he is now.
- Then Ivan played for Metalist 1925, Rukh, and first came to Oleksandriya. However, the next two clubs were representatives of the Icelandic and Indian leagues. So it turns out that even after such a tour you can come back stronger and deserve a call-up to the Ukrainian national team?
- Of course, you can. It's great that he didn't extend his stay in a warm bathroom, but traveled and played. He tried himself in Ukraine, then fate took him to Iceland and India. Foreign football experience still changes players a bit, their attitude to the game. He returned to Ukraine as an adult, with a solid baggage of knowledge. I think it all went in his favor.
- What was Ruslan Rotan's role in Kalyuzhnyi's season and the fact that he was called up to the national team?
- This is their joint merit. Rotan knows how to work with young people, but he also finds an approach to middle-aged players. It seems to me that he will have a chance to make his debut.
- Does Kalyuzhnyi have the necessary qualities to gain a foothold in the Ukrainian national team for a long time? Will this call-up not turn into a one-time action caused by problems in the national team?
- It's hard to say, because Kalyuzhnyi doesn't have that kind of experience yet. Whether he will gain a foothold depends on him and the circumstances. Last year, no one talked about him so much, and now, as the leader of Oleksandriya, he is receiving serious attention. In general, he has all the qualities to gain a foothold in the national team.
- Shakhtar have a problem with holding midfielders now, can we expect Kalyuzhnyi, who is currently a player of the national team, to transfer to the Donetsk club? Or would Ivan be better suited to Dynamo, which is not a stranger to him?
- Yes, Vanya is on the move, but I repeat that now he is playing in a team that is also on the move, showing a good game and getting a positive result. It's hard to say what will happen if Oleksandriya suddenly has a slump.
As for his possible transfer, Kalyuzhny has already been to Dynamo. He is familiar with this club and its system. "Shakhtar? Maybe, but... You know, but Vanya is a player who is more suitable for Dynamo. Shakhtar play a combination style, and Kalyuzhnyi plays more power football. But, you know, it's never too late to change.
Vladyslav Liutostansky
