Dynamo legend Leonid Buryak spoke about the chances of the Kyiv team in today’s Europa League match against the Italian Roma.
Leonid Buryak. Photo — O. Vasilyeva— Leonid Iosifovich, share your expectations for the Europa League match Roma — Dynamo?
— Serious expectations from Dynamo in this match. The Kyiv team is generally playing well now in the Ukrainian championship. They just need to transfer such results and such play to the European level. We have a Ukrainian team, we have quite a few young talented footballers. Of course, it takes time for Dynamo to transfer what they can do in the Ukrainian championship to the European arena.
Now the Kyiv team looks more or less solid and is in first place in the UPL. It is also worth noting that the game has stabilized with Dynamo. Although in football, one always strives to improve the game and progress. Roma is, of course, a rather serious opponent. How the match will unfold, we will see. But we will all support Dynamo in this match!
— Before the match with Roma, Dynamo defeated Obolon with a score of 5:1. Vanat, Brazhko, and Shaparenko scored goals in this match. Are they in good shape for the match against the Romans?
— Yes, in good shape, but the team as a whole is playing and achieving results! Yes, Dynamo has some injured players, but nonetheless, there are options for rotation. Thank God, the team can adapt. I believe that Dynamo will improve with each game. And we expect this from them.
— The confrontation of Dovbik against Dynamo will be interesting. What do you think about that?
— Regarding Dovbik, I can say that he plays for a big club. And, of course, everyone expects goals from him! But that doesn’t always happen. The same goes for Kyiv’s Dynamo. If you want to immortalize yourself in this club as a legend, you have no right to make mistakes! In every game, you need to prove and confirm that you are indeed footballers who are ready to write their names in the history of Dynamo (Kyiv).
— Do you think Roma is a bit stronger than Lazio and Hoffenheim in terms of composition?
— After all, these are approximately equal teams. And it is unknown what lineup Roma will play against Dynamo. For the Italians, Serie A is generally the priority.
— And still, it’s interesting that two giants of European football will meet at the Stadio Olimpico!
— Obviously, Kyiv’s Dynamo and Roma are clubs with names. Such teams always have strong footballers! My friends who became world champions have played for Roma. But it was a different time with different footballers. Everything will depend on Dynamo and how they prepare for the match. They need to transfer all their best qualities from UPL to Europa League! And then everything will be fine. They need to play with the same enthusiasm and dedication on the field. Goals need to be achieved step by step. Nothing happens overnight. Many want to just go and win against Roma outright. For this, you need to go through all the stages, like in that match against Lazio. This also applies to Shakhtar!
— By the way, what can you say about the match of the Donetsk team against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League?
— There is a big difference between the Shakhtar we saw before the match with Arsenal and the one that played against the Londoners. Shakhtar did not lose face in the match with Arsenal. The Donetsk team looked quite solid. But Shakhtar and Dynamo have to go through this to return to their level. Nothing happens immediately! Therefore, let’s see how the progress of our clubs will look. And, speaking in general, we need to gather all the best pieces and restore the football in Ukraine that we had 10-15 years ago.
Dmitry Kotkov
