Former Ukrainian footballer Yuri Seleznev shared his impressions of the match of the 6th round of the group stage of the Champions League between Donetsk "Shakhtar" and Munich "Bayern" (1:5), which took place the day before yesterday in Gelsenkirchen.
Georgiy Sudakov. Photo: shakhtar.com
— The score, of course, is unpleasant. It’s too large. You can lose 1:2, 2:3, well, let’s say 1:3. But 1:5… that’s too much. If we take the game as a whole, then "Bayern" was head and shoulders above in this match; there can be no question about it!
Regarding the outcome of the match, it was clear, because our teams in European competitions — both "Shakhtar" and Kyiv "Dynamo" — are currently finding it very difficult to compete against top-level clubs in Europe. These are our realities — and there’s no escaping it. The war, the level of the championship, and the lack of legionnaires of such quality as before — all of this has its effect. If just four or five years ago, there were 8-9 strong teams in the Ukrainian Premier League, among which there were real "battles," now "Shakhtar" has only two such matches throughout the championship.
Everything depends on the level of the championship. And our championship is currently slow, it lacks speed, and aggression. Let's take someone from the leaders — let’s say, Sudakov. Where was he the day before yesterday on the field in Gelsenkirchen? Where? Well, that’s the whole conversation. This fact alone speaks about the level of the UPL.
— And still, did you notice anything positive in the match against "Bayern" from "Shakhtar"?
— If we take the positives, it’s only the youth who have never played against such teams and now have the opportunity to gain experience. This applies to both the Brazilians and our young lads. In such games, they gain invaluable experience. And believe me, that’s worth a lot.
— How do you assess the future prospects of "Shakhtar"?
— With each match in the Champions League, the Donetsk team is getting better. It’s clear that it’s very difficult for the "miners" to play in such conditions: both the war and the huge travels. And the level of our championship, as I’ve already said, is currently not of the same quality as before, because the pace is completely different than in European competitions. The Donetsk footballers are not used to playing against teams that press them, which are fast and individually strong. Therefore, of course, it’s difficult.
However, at the same time, matches against teams of such a level as "Bayern" are quite useful. They allow not only to gain experience but also to analyze one's mistakes and eliminate them. So "miners" have something to work on.
— Earlier, you mentioned Georgiy Sudakov. Just recently, his value was estimated by "Shakhtar" at 50−60 million euros. In your opinion, the price of this footballer in the current transfer market cannot be the same as before?
— In my opinion, our footballers cannot be worth such money — neither 100, nor 70, nor 60 million. You can look at other transfers that are taking place in Europe. For example, take the Turkish Ahmed Güler from Madrid's "Real." He is not worth such money (this player cost the Spanish giant 45 million euros — ed.). Meanwhile, this guy is a member of the Turkish national team.
I think Sudakov should go abroad and show himself there — and then he’ll be bought for even 100 or 200 million. A fresh example is Zabarnyi. He went to "Bournemouth," hasn’t played there for even two years, and everyone is already chasing after him! He plays confidently for the Ukrainian national team, has shown progress, and has reached a good level in a modest English club. This is the indicator.
Vyacheslav Kulchytsky
