Former forward of Kyiv’s Dynamo Maxim Shatskykh shared his impressions of the match of his former team against Hungarian Ferencváros (0:4) in the 4th round of the main stage of the Europa League, and also touched upon the performances of Donetsk Shakhtar and the Ukrainian national team.
— Maxim, let’s start with impressions of the game of your home team Dynamo. I recall that when you played in the white-blue jersey, there were devastating defeats, but not from teams of the level of Ferencváros. Why did Dynamo clearly fail the game against the Hungarian club?
— One stupid mistake — and the game was broken (referring to the straight red card for Dubinchak, — ed.). All the plans that Shovkovsky made for the match went up in smoke. In the UPL, such things could still happen, to play with ten men for over 70 minutes of playtime, but not in the Europa League. At this level, such mistakes are harshly punished. Moreover, they didn’t have a bit of luck. The Dynamo players had a chance to score even with the score 0:0, but neither Kabayev nor Vanat managed to do so. Both hit the post.
— Alright, bad luck in attack. What happened in defense?
— Dynamo players, especially those who regularly play in the starting lineup, should not make such childish mistakes, like Dubinchak. Moreover, all the goals were the result of Dynamo players' mistakes. All four. There should be some responsibility. The coach is responsible for the team game, while the players must be responsible for their own.
The first goal conceded by Dynamo is a ridiculous mistake by Kabayev. The second goal — should one even still keep the opponent in their own penalty area (referring to Taras Mykhavko — ed.)?
— What to do about it?
— One needs to play a bit more aggressively, from a position of strength. Your team’s penalty area is your home. It should be defended by all means. I didn’t notice aggression, in a good sense of the word, in the actions of the Dynamo players. And I don’t understand the fourth goal at all...
But, you know, I would also like to praise some of the Dynamo players, because after the expulsion, they did not close themselves off tightly in defense, although they could have. They still tried to play their game, open football, creating something in attack.
— During Shovkovsky's time, Dynamo never lost 0:4.
— Yes. Perhaps, this is really the worst game of Dynamo this season. The result speaks for itself, no matter how you look at it. It seemed to me that after the second goal conceded, the Dynamo players mentally gave up.
But I wouldn’t rush to write off Dynamo’s hopes for the Europa League playoffs. It’s too early. There are four games ahead. It won’t be easy, of course, but they shouldn’t give up prematurely. Go out, play, fight, prove it, earn points. This generation should understand that they are currently writing the history of Kyiv. They must fight for the honor of the club. This is Dynamo Kyiv!
— Your teammate from Dynamo Oleksandr Khatskevych, analyzing the game against Ferencváros, highlighted only Georgiy Bushchan from the entire squad of Dynamo in a positive light. Just a little. Who at least somewhat impressed you in the game against "Fradi"?
— If it weren’t for Zhora (Georgiy Bushchan, Dynamo goalkeeper, — ed.), it would have been not 0:4, and I’m even afraid to say what the final score could have been. Bushchan performed wonders at some moments. That kind of backup is needed in the team.
Kolya Shaparenko played at his level. If it weren’t for the expulsion, Buialskyi could have shown a decent game, but he was replaced because they had to compensate for Dubinchak’s absence in defense. Kabayev tried hard, if we don’t remember once again his pass not reaching Shaparenko, interception, and goal. Karavaev played well. The guys tried.
I can’t accuse them of not wanting to. Such unfortunate matches happen in football. We are discussing Dynamo with you, asking how they conceded four? But let’s remember how “Manchester City” lost four to "Sporting" (1:4), how “Real” conceded three to “Milan” (1:3), “Bayer” lost four to “Liverpool” (0:4).
Right now, the main thing is for Shovkovsky to analyze everything and draw the right conclusions. That’s all.
— Unlike Dynamo, the most principled opponent of the Kyivans in the domestic arena — Shakhtar — won in the European Cups, defeating “Young Boys” (2:1). What do you think of Marinos Pushych’s team’s game?
— I watched this match completely. Frankly, I liked Shakhtar’s game. The victory of the miners significantly increased their chances for the Champions League playoffs, despite the difficult upcoming calendar (PSV, Bayern, Brest, Borussia from Dortmund, — ed.).
In my opinion, in the match against “Young Boys,” everything was decided by the individual skill of one player, Sudakov. First, he perfectly assisted Zubkov, and later scored himself.
— Regarding Sudakov. Some experts criticize him, others promote him. What’s your opinion: has Georgiy already outgrown the level of the UPL, and is it time for him to move to Europe, convincing the Shakhtar management to let him go free, or not?
— Well, you understand perfectly well what the current level of the UPL is… In Shakhtar, every third player has outgrown the level of the Ukrainian championship. But I don’t see stability in Sudakov’s game. As far as I observe, neither in Shakhtar nor in the Ukrainian national team does he have consistent performances. It’s not like he stands out in every game leading his partners. Until these components are in his actions.
When he demonstrates the same level in every match, as he did against "Young Boys," then we can talk about where he should move. That is, transitioning to a stronger league than the UPL.
— Why are both Shakhtar and Dynamo, even more so, struggling in the European Cups? Is there a logical explanation for this?
— First of all, whoever says what, it’s logistics. Believe me, I know what I’m saying, such movements, when they go by bus or train, then by plane, and back through the same route, don’t add strength at all. It takes away both physical and moral strength, which is no less important.
Also, it’s clear that the level of both teams has dropped. The players in Shakhtar and Dynamo are not at the same class as their squads ten years ago. No high-class players want to come play in Ukraine, risking their safety in wartime conditions. And I understand them.
Currently, Ukrainian clubs cannot compete decently on the international stage. It’s a pity, but that’s how it is, and we must accept it for now. It’s good that football exists in Ukraine at all, and we still have teams in the Champions League and the Europa League at the main round stage.
— Let’s shift focus a bit from the European Cups. Dynamo has a six-point lead over Shakhtar after 12 rounds. Will this lead be enough for the Kyivans to secure the golden medals by the end of the season?
— There’s still a lot of match left. Very many matches ahead, and it’s too early to talk about Dynamo’s championship win in the UPL. There are very decent teams in the Ukrainian Championship, such as Polissya, which can trip up anyone including Dynamo and Shakhtar. Also Oleksandriya and Kryvbas.
There aren’t teams in the UPL right now that you understand before the game: we’ll go out now, score five goals, and have no problems. No. Of course, there are teams of the level of “Lviv” or “Obolon,” but they also strive to take points in every match.
— What will determine the championship — transfers, early “getting rid” of the European Cups, other factors?
— In my opinion, a lot will depend on the winter transfer window: how well it is conducted, whether they manage to sign someone. This applies both to Dynamo and Shakhtar and other clubs that are fighting for spots in European Cups.
To achieve results, resources must be available. It’s like a reserve — an untouchable stock, to withstand the pace, and to have substitutes who can enter the game adequately.
There’s no need to overreact and cut everyone and fire them. UAF will sort things out with Rebrov
— In a week, we will switch from club football to the Ukrainian national team's matches in the Nations League. What do you say about the “blue and yellow's” chances in this tournament, given that both games will be away against Georgia and Albania?
— Ukraine is fully capable of earning six points and advancing to League A. Both Georgia and Albania are teams that must be beaten, not just can be beaten. No one says it will be easy, but both of these teams are within the reach of the Ukrainians. Georgia is a great team, as evidenced by Euro 2024, and is currently demonstrating a good game, while Albania is a “nasty” team that also won’t gift three points easily. But I repeat, both of these teams can be overcome by Ukrainians.
The selection of players, their level, in Rebrov's team is significantly higher than what the coaches of Georgia and Albania have. Of course, the absence of Tsygankov will be a significant loss for the team, but he can be adequately replaced. Stanislavovych will sort it out, I’m sure.
— Who should take on the role of leader in the national team and pull it along? Is it time for Dovbyk to step into the role of leader?
— Dovbyk? Probably not. He is not experienced enough yet. There should be a leader in the national team who, as they say, is a leader in the locker room. Someone who can motivate and lead his partners. A leader is not necessarily the captain; just because you wear the armband does not make you the leader. No.
It’s hard to find someone like that in this Ukrainian national team. Andriy Yarmolenko was like that. He has the necessary characteristics, but he hasn’t been called up for the matches in November.
— And finally. After the victory over Georgia (1:0) and the draw with the Czech Republic (1:1), criticism towards Serhiy Rebrov has lessened a bit, but the word “a bit” is key. What do you say about his coaching potential and whether he should continue to be trusted and even remain as the head of the national team in case of failure in the Nations League?
— All coaches deal with criticism. These are the people: you lose even one game, and it’s all — fire everyone, tear everything down, and so on. Are the Czech Republic or Georgia bad national teams? Should Ukraine beat everyone? The level of both the “blue-yellow” and their opponents should be evaluated adequately.
Yes, the first two matches in the Nations League were bad; losses are never encouraging. This is understandable, but in subsequent matches, Rebrov managed to stabilize the game. They defeated Georgia and drew with the Czech Republic.
So, there’s no need to overreact and cut everyone and fire them. UAF will sort it out with Rebrov. He is an experienced and high-quality specialist. Simply, this is his first experience at the national level, not club football. The specifics are different; he needs time to adjust. Give him time.
Whatever happens with the Nations League cycle, Rebrov should remain as the head of the Ukrainian national team for the qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup. That’s my opinion. And enough of the criticism; the positive changes in Ukraine’s game are noticeable.
Viktor Glukhentiy
