On Thursday, October 24, in the match of the 3rd round of the main stage of the Europa League, Kyiv "Dynamo" lost away to Italian "Roma" with a score of 0:1. The match took place in Rome at the "Stadio Olimpico". We present to you the post-match press conference of Dynamo head coach Oleksandr Shovkovsky.
— We understood perfectly well which team we were playing against today, understood how they prepare for matches, how they plan their attacks, and firstly we tried to do everything possible to limit the space between the lines and not allow the opposing team to score an early goal.
But, unfortunately, a painful and, I believe, somewhat unnecessary penalty was awarded against us. But a fact is a fact, we conceded. At the same time, apart from that penalty, "Roma" had only long-range shots in the first half.
We tried to use our chances, including speed in counterattacks; we had several moments that we could have finished positively, but, unfortunately, we did not. And in that moment that we finished positively, our player was offside.
In the second half, we wanted to change our style of play. But again, we understood who we were playing against. Nevertheless, even after the break, we had, I believe, some pretty good moments that we could capitalize on more successfully. However, at the same time, we could have conceded a second goal.
— Today, did your team perform better in defense or attack?
— I never divide the team's play like that. It synchronously builds its defensive lines and plays in attack. Today in attack, we lacked a bit of aggression, especially at the beginning of the game.
In general, I give credit to "Roma," which plays in Serie A, has a large budget. We cannot currently attract high-level legionnaires. The foreigners that we had before the war, upon hearing the first explosions and shots, immediately asked to be loaned out.
Oleksandr Shovkovsky. Photo - A. Popov— Your impressions of "Roma"?
— The team played as expected, using the flanks, striving to quickly change the direction of attacks, creating numerical advantages and utilizing the qualities of their players who skillfully work with the ball and combine well. We understood that our opponent was trying to push us into our half with a large group of players to engage in active pressing, so we used long passes and our fast players up front.
I can't say that "Roma" surprised us in any way, but it is certainly a very powerful team that plays in one of the best leagues, competing for the highest places.
— How is the recovery of Yarmolenko and Pikhalenok going? Will they play against "Shakhtar"?
— I think both of them won't play in this match. It’s not enough to just recover; they also need to gain certain conditions. And they had very little time for that.
— What do you think of Dovbik?
— I know Artem's qualities very well because I worked on the coaching staff of the Ukraine national team, including during Euro 2020. I consider him a high-level player who adds depth to "Roma's" attack, can engage in challenges in the penalty area. He has strong individual qualities—both shooting and battling. I believe that such players elevate the game of football. Personally, I am happy for him. I would be pleased if we had such a player.
— Today there were many changes in the starting lineup. Are you satisfied with those who took to the field from the first minutes?
— Of course, the upcoming game against "Shakhtar" in the Ukrainian championship brought adjustments. We took this upcoming match into account when determining the starting lineup for today’s game. We have 26 players on the roster.
As for the performance displayed by the guys, there are certainly moments that need improvement, but overall the players mostly fulfilled the plan for this match. There were individual mistakes, but that’s football.
Oleksandr POPOV from Rome
