The former coach of Kyiv "Dynamo" Yozhef Sabo shared his impressions of yesterday’s match of his former team against the Spanish "Real Sociedad" (0:3) in the 6th round of the main stage of the Europa League.
Yozhef Sabo— "Real Sociedad" literally overran our team! It felt like only Bushchan went onto the field for the first half, while all other Dynamo players stayed in the locker room... The Spanish team had everything — speed, technique, pressing, interceptions. Interestingly, during the break, I absolutely correctly predicted what would follow — that "Real Sociedad" would change half of the team, calm down the game, relieve the pressure, that is, agree to the score of 3:0. And why should they aim for more?
— Why was "Dynamo" so helpless?
— There is simply no skill, and that’s all. I don’t know how training is conducted now. At the time when I played, as well as when I coached "Dynamo", the philosophy was like this: you have to compensate for the lack of skill with physicality, to be a head taller than your opponents in this component, and it’s advisable to stop them as far away from your penalty area as possible.
Remember, in this match, the Spaniards were constantly open — no one from Dynamo interfered with them. And if you watch the matches of "Real Sociedad" in the Spanish championship, you will immediately see how opponents there tear them apart, and they don’t even let you breathe... Our players absolutely cannot play one-on-one — there’s a complete catastrophe with that, and all the troubles began precisely with the loss of numerous micro-duels.
— Popov probably had one of the worst matches of his career?...
— He is heavy and looks more like a boxer than a footballer. And regarding the penalty... How can you kick at the legs of an opponent who has already turned his back to your goal and is leaving the penalty area? Just carefully push that opponent out and that’s it.
— Were the substitutions timely? And did they have any impact at all?
— No, of course not, because "Real Sociedad" switched speeds, stopped pressing, probably thinking about the next match.
— Is Oleksandr Shovkovskyi to blame for this result?
— As they say: the coach is always to blame for the defeat... On the other hand, what will Shovkovskyi do with all of this now? The year is coming to an end, perhaps Dynamo’s players are tired, I don’t know.
— In January, Dynamo needs to play two more matches in the Europa League. What to expect from them, and how to prepare?
— I think the Dynamo players will get a week or two to rest. But there will be problems with gaining form, because they are unlikely to prepare properly. As for the opponents, if they can’t beat RFS from Riga, then I don’t know why they should even step onto the field... I’m afraid we might also concede three or four goals from Galatasaray.
— I heard the opinion that currently, Ukrainian club football has rolled back to the level of the first half of the 90s...
— Not really... Now these players can’t even win the ball! In the 90s, there were indeed many difficulties, but they knew how to play football, maintained a decent level, and gradually achieved very respectable performance, competing on equal terms with top teams.
After the war, our football will take a long time to lift. I think it will take at least 10 years for this. Why do I assess the situation like this? Just take a look at the disaster happening with our children in football. Many talented boys have been taken to Europe by their parents, often to good clubs. And they won’t return to Ukraine from there.
Oleh Semenchenko
