Goalkeeper of “Inhulets” Oleksiy Palamarczuk spoke about his ability to save penalties. Recall that recently the 33-year-old goalkeeper set a record in the Ukrainian Championship history: he managed to save five consecutive penalties.
Oleksiy Palamarczuk. Photo — Yu. Yuriev— In the studio of the UPL channel, you were nicknamed the Pетровский Spider-Man. How do you like this nickname?
— I am very pleased to be called that. It’s like I have a web on my hands and the balls just come into it. But I would prefer that the team won more often with penalties that I saved. Then we would have double success. At least, that’s what I really hope for.
— One of your teammates, Oleksandr Pyatov, jokingly said that you pay defenders to foul in the penalty area to earn penalties that you then save. It seems that there is a sense of humor in “Inhulets”?
— (Laughs). Of course! It’s not only about paying off. Sometimes when we’re on the way to a match in the club bus, some guys ask me: “So, are we earning a ‘spot’ or not, for you to save?” I say: “Maybe it’s better not to?” But I understand that penalties can be beneficial for us. It’s true that after these penalties it gets mentally tough. As for the sense of humor, we have that covered with the guys.
— Are you already aware of what the head coach of “Inhulets,” Vasyl Kobin, said about you in a post-match flash interview with the TV reporters?
— No. And what did he say?
— That you have no chance in a duel with him when taking a penalty…
— He’s the coach — he knows better. Well, I guess it’s without chances. I won’t argue. But we can check. (Smiles).
— And you are also planning to “celebrate” your record series in front of your teammates?
— If they say so, I’ll have to. (Smiles). Though I have questions for the defenders who made me go through those penalty duels.
— Haven't you thought about the fact that after your record many penalty takers will study the peculiarities of your style of saving penalties from the "spot"?
— What’s there to study if I don’t even know how I manage to do it myself?! Do you think penalty takers will study me? Sometimes when I review the saved penalties on video, I don’t even know what I’m thinking in that moment. I just look at the ball and try to “work” according to it.
— It seems that with such explanations you’ll confuse even more penalty takers…
— Well, let them confuse themselves — it will only work to my advantage. (Smiles).
— Which goalkeeper did you want to resemble in your younger years?
— The Spaniard Iker Casillas, goalkeeper for “Real” and the Spanish national team. I would also highlight our Oleksandr Shovkovskyi. In 2004, I was at the first Super Cup in Odesa, where he expertly saved penalties first and then also scored the final one. I really liked that.
— Which of your colleagues in the field surprises you pleasantly nowadays?
— Probably, the German Manuel Neuer. He plays very well. He has confident play both with his feet and on the line. In recent years, I have also been forced to play a lot with my feet, so the style of the goalkeeper of “Bayern” and the German national team is a model for me. Neuer exudes confidence. When you watch matches involving “Bayern,” he looks very strong. That’s why I would like to resemble this goalkeeper.
Vyacheslav Kulchytsky
