Illia Zabarnyi's childhood coach, Yurii Teplitsky, admitted whether he maintains a relationship with him now.
— Tell us how Illia joined your team, your first impressions of him — both in sports terms and purely human?
— Illia joined us at FC «Troieshchyna» at the age of 9. I should note that this is quite late; children usually start playing football at 6-7 years old. Training took place at a general education school, where Illia studied. It was immediately noticeable that he was a disciplined, intelligent boy with a huge desire to play football.
— What did he stand out for, and what was lacking?
— Very quickly, Zabarnyi became a real captain — the leader of our team, which included boys born in 2002. Fast and diligent, very energetic. It seems to me that technical skills did not come easily to him. However, little Illia had incredible work ethic.
— Could it have been predicted at a young age that he would grow into such a footballer?
— Every youth coach understands that if one or two boys from their team become professional footballers, it will be a great success. As for Illia, I saw back then that he had all the necessary qualities to become a high-level player.
— Thanks to what qualities did Illia stand out in your team and attract the attention of the Dynamo scouts?
— Discipline, diligence, hard work, speed, and endurance — these were the qualities of little Illia that made him stand out among others.
— I read that he started with you as a forward — why did the coaches change Illia's position over time?
— Indeed, in our team, Illia played as a forward or attacking midfielder. His immense energy was enough to attack, then return to defense, reclaim the ball, and attack again.
— Illia underwent a very tough selection process at Dynamo and made his debut for the first team at just 18. What are the components of such rapid progress in his game?
— At competitions, he attracted the attention of Dynamo coaches (more specifically, Dynamo's scout coach, Serhii Velychko), and at the age of 11, he was invited to the Dynamo youth academy. I think it was his persistent effort at training, honesty, and discipline, as well as good physical qualities, that enabled Illia to become a main player in Dynamo's youth team, and then Dynamo U-19, and to debut for the first team at 18.
— Do you still maintain a relationship with Illia?
— For a long time, we did not communicate, but I always tracked Illia's growth. A few years ago, we accidentally met on the street, chatted, and exchanged phone numbers.
— Many specialists consider Illia the strongest Ukrainian footballer today (both in terms of game quality and potential) — do you agree with them?
— I believe that in the position of central defender, Illia is undoubtedly the strongest Ukrainian player.
— Do you agree that in one or two seasons, Zabarnyi will play in a major European club?
— I am convinced that Illia has all the necessary qualities to play in one of the European top clubs in a few years. Again, I repeat, his talent multiplied by his diligence will yield such results.
Sviatoslav Vasylyk