The head coach of "Dynamo U-19" Ihor Kostiuk told about the upcoming plans of the youth team of the "white-blues".
Ihor Kostiuk (photo: fcdynamo.com)— On January 12, we are gathering after the vacation, in the next two days we will undergo medical examinations in two groups, training in Kyiv, and on the 16th we will leave for a training camp in Turkey. There we will prepare for the UEFA Youth League playoff match against Atalanta, which will take place on February 11 in Manavgat at the Arslan Zeki Demirci Sports Complex.
— Are there any planned personnel changes in the team?
— Information will be available after we all gather together. For now, I can't say anything. There are ongoing negotiations, there are positions that require strengthening, and part of the players have gone to the camp with the first team. The only thing I can definitely say now is that forward Fedir Zadorozhny, who was on loan at Zorya, has returned to us.
— Considering that the match against Atalanta will take place on February 11, will there be any changes in the training process during the preparation for the season resumption?
— We will specifically prepare for this game, and also opponents for the friendly matches are selected according to the level of the future rival in the UEFA Youth League — in particular, we will play friendly matches against adult teams from various European championships.
— Overall, what was your reaction to the draw? What do you think about the upcoming opponent in the UEFA Youth League?
— Among all possible options, we got the most interesting opponent since Atalanta's school is considered one of the strongest not only in Italy but also in all of Europe. From my experience, and also from the reviews of coaches who participate in international tournaments, whenever teams from Atalanta of various age categories participated in competitions, they always demonstrated a high level of preparation, and it was always difficult to play against them.
At the same time, it is always interesting to play against a strong opponent, to resist both physically and tactically. This is a worthy opponent, and it will be interesting to show ourselves and achieve victory in the match.
