Martin Ditze is a German who loves Ukraine with all his heart. A promoter of Ukrainian culture and identity in Germany. Besides his work in the IT field, Martin is also the conductor of a Ukrainian church choir in Hamburg and a big supporter of Ukrainian football.
When it became known that Dynamo would hold its matches in Martin’s native Hamburg, he simply couldn’t not buy a season ticket for all of Kyiv’s home games in the Europa League.
— How is Dynamo (Kyiv) received in Hamburg?
— Not particularly. There were 4 thousand spectators at the match against Victoria. Most of them were Ukrainians — refugees and the diaspora. The second half were fans of the local club Hamburg. They support Dynamo, but don’t know much about the Ukrainian club.
Before the match, I spoke with some of them. There were one or two guys who knew Ukrainian players. It was a thrill for them to go to a European Cup match because international matches in the city are rare.
— Why did more fans come for Shakhtar?
— The Champions League banner. The stadium was more or less full. Of course, when Barcelona was there, there were more spectators. For other opponents, the number of fans decreased. When the miners played in the Europa League, the stadium was not completely full.
Now the situation is directly related to Dynamo’s performance and results. If a sufficient number of fans came to the first match against Lazio because the opponent’s status was serious and expectations were high, then later the number of viewers decreased because the opponents were less known and success was not expected from Kyiv.
— What is the reason that people do not attend the Europa League?
— People are interested in what opponents will arrive. Last season Barcelona and Porto came. These are interesting teams with recognition in Europe. When Victoria or Ferencváros comes, these are mediocre clubs that are simply not interesting to neutral fans.
— When it became known that Dynamo would play its matches in Hamburg, local fans began to express dissatisfaction. What was the reason?
— Hamburg fans published the idea that they do not support Dynamo matches because there are stories about Kyiv’s fans relating to racism. There were earlier matches against Chelsea and Shakhtar when there were manifestations of racism. Such fans exist in every club. German fans didn’t like that the club did not react or explain its position.
In Germany, there have also been problems with their fans. The league reacted. They began to fight against them. There are penalties. There are cameras everywhere. They identify the person, and he can no longer come to the stadium. German fans do not really understand what state football in Ukraine is in and how everything works.
— How many Ukrainians live in Hamburg?
— Together with refugees, about 40 thousand. Everyone has their own problems. I know different people here. Not everyone is interested in football.
— What is the pricing policy for tickets?
— Liberal. For Germans, the prices are good, cheap. For Ukrainians who do not work and live as refugees — not cheap.
I paid 100 euros for 4 matches in the central stand.
— In your opinion, what is the problem with Dynamo’s failures in the Europa League?
— The level of football in Ukraine is not very high right now. Dynamo players are not used to the Europa League and playing twice a week. Plus difficult travels. Many mistakes in simple situations, losing the ball in flat places. I did not fully understand the tactics of the three central defenders in the game against Victoria. There was a lot of space on the flanks.
I did not expect such results because I saw Kyiv play much stronger in the Champions League qualifying matches on TV. I do not understand why Kyiv plays so poorly against weaker opponents. This is one of the reasons why people do not go to the stadium. There were 4 thousand spectators at the game against Victoria.
— What is the atmosphere like in the stadium?
— Of course, the diaspora and refugees do not create a supportive atmosphere. For understandable reasons, Dynamo lacks fans who could loudly support their team. The entire atmosphere is created by the ultras of the opposing team who cheer for their side.
— Which players from the current Dynamo squad do you admire the most?
— Of course, Mykola Shaparenko. I have always admired creative midfield players.
— You were at Dynamo matches 10-20 years ago in Kyiv. Share your memories of those games?
— There was a very good atmosphere. When you walk from Maidan to the stadium, there are many people selling fake jerseys, merchandise, and seeds. It wasn’t always full, but the atmosphere was good. There were interesting matches. Every time I am in Kyiv, I go to a Dynamo game. The matches against Metalist and Chornomorets were memorable.
Back then, the team was strong. There were legends on the field. A great squad — Oleksandr Shovkovskyi, Oleg Husiev, Serhiy Rebrov, Artem Milevskyi.
— How did you learn the Ukrainian language and where does your love for Ukraine come from?
— I learned the language in Ukraine. My wife is from Ternopil. She is a teacher of the Ukrainian language. We decided to switch to Ukrainian. I knew a bit of the language because I studied at a Catholic university in Lviv. But my level was not very high. Thanks to Natalia, I speak Ukrainian fluently.
Before the war, I would come to Ukraine at least once a year for a few weeks. I love Ukrainian culture and music. I have a show on a German channel where I talk about Ukrainian rock music. From folk to punk. I absolutely love Lviv. I fell in love with that place.
Sergiy TYSCHENKO
