Dynamo Kyiv graduate Alexey Dovhiy recalled his first steps in football.
— You are from Kyiv. Which district?
— From Holosiivskyi. Now, of course, a lot has changed there, the area has been built up. But back then, in the late 90s, I remembered the roads and routes I took to get to the Dynamo base at Nyvky across the whole city.
— When did you feel that football would be in your heart forever?
— When I passed the selection at Dynamo. I was about nine or ten years old at that time. There was nothing at the base then — just a covered sports facility, a rubber field, and areas covered with small stones.
I remember now, there was no living space on my body. My sides, knees — everything was covered in blood. But it was worth it. As a result, I was told to come, and we will try to learn.
— When you got to the Dynamo Youth Sports School, the first team was roaring across Europe.
— Yes. Everyone was watching Serhiy Rebrov and Andriy Shevchenko with their mouths wide open. I don't know how, but it was a great challenge, yet my father managed to get tickets for the quarter-final match of the Champions League against Real Madrid in 1999. Over 80 thousand spectators, Shevchenko's goals — it was something! It will remain in memory for a lifetime. I also remembered a huge number of buses all the way to the Lybidska metro station that brought fans from other cities.
— Your coach at the academy was Oleksandr Lysenko?
— Yes, he led our group until graduation, and then he also worked with the national team from the 1989 year. Lysenko was like a second father to us kids, as we spent more time with him than at home since we lived at the academy. San Sanych taught us how to eat, how to properly go to the toilet, instilled character. (Smiles). It was a good life school.
— Many names of footballers can be mentioned with whom you trained during that time. But who would you highlight among your partners, who made it into professional football and left their mark?
— There were many guys who played in the Premier League, but I would highlight three. This is undoubtedly Andriy Yarmolenko, who, as you know, was expelled from the Dynamo academy at the time because he didn't fit the size (smiles), he was small, although he worked well with the ball, God bless everyone. They valued more the grenadiers who could run and push… However, after some time, when Andriy blossomed in Desna, Dynamo purchased him. Although Yarmolenko still plays, he is already a legend of Ukrainian football.
Roman Zozulya, my godfather. (Smiles). We were together from the very beginning. Naturally, we keep in touch now. Currently, he has changed the course of his work and started an agency business. For many years, he played quality football. Roman played for Dynamo, Dnipro, reached the final of the Europa League. He has established a good reputation in Spain.
Artem Kravets. He wasn't a main player at our age. However, Artem graduated from school with a gold medal, he is very smart, and thanks to that he reached a high level of professionalism. As an experienced footballer, I can say it's much easier for coaches with such players as Kravets. He doesn't need to be told twice; he catches everything on the fly. Artem often analyzed games, watched many matches, and then tried to refine what he had picked up. Without having super talent, he played both at Dynamo and abroad and left a notable mark in the Ukrainian national team.
— During your time at Dynamo, did any of the coaches motivate you to work with the first team?
— I don't remember exactly, but it most likely happened under Anatoliy Dem'yanenko. I was performing well for the reserve team. I played for the main team in a friendly match when the national players were unavailable. But then I suffered a cruciate ligament injury, which set me back.
Maybe I could have climbed higher if something had gone a little differently. However, I do not regret anything at all, I am satisfied with my career, and for that, I thank fate. And now, looking back, I want to convey my mistakes to the young. Everything can be changed when there's time; I no longer have it.
— When did you realize that you wouldn't have any prospects at Dynamo?
— In 2009, the U-19 youth national team of Ukraine was preparing for the home Euro. The team was then coached by Yuriy Kalytvintsev, and he was assisted by Hennadiy Lytovchenko. The base team was made up of Dynamo-2, which gathered boys born in 1990 and younger. They were the focus.
That's when I realized that I needed to move on. I have no grievances against Yuriy Mykolaiovych (Kalytvintsev, — ed. note). I'll say more, he is one of the coaches I've worked with a bit; although I didn't play, I have great sympathy for him. He has a core character, based on good human qualities. For me, he is also an example to follow. With such a coach, you always want to play.
— After leaving Dynamo, you began to travel around Ukraine, not staying long at different clubs. Why is that?
— I don't know; that's how my career developed. Although, of course, I wanted some stability. Perhaps I didn't land in a club with great ambitions, and because of this, I was looking for my happiness. Somewhere the coaches changed and didn’t see me in the lineup, somewhere new management came in and set their own rules.
I could have finished at 27 years old.
— How is that?
— When I was at Stal, the team was managed by Leonid Kuchuk. I then had very serious problems with my knee. The head coach called me and said he would help, bring me up, and made me an offer to go with him as an assistant, saying it would be hard for me to reach the needed level given my situation. Ukrainian football doctors and rehabilitators had already "buried" me.
But instead, this motivated me. I ended up with Serbian doctors, who brought me back on my feet and said that with the right attitude and proper recovery, I could easily play at a high level for another ten years. And, interestingly, during the eight years I played afterward, I missed at most a month due to health problems.
By the way, in this situation, I often told the young ones what mistakes to avoid.
— Which football player was the hardest for you to play against?
— Finnish Dynamo player Roman Yaremchuk. I had the impression that he never lost the ball; it was as if it was glued to his foot. It seems you know what he is going to do, but no — he has already slipped away. Roman played as if on a console. Technical, plastic, speedy. Once, I played with him on the beach during vacation, and then I realized he is a top footballer.
Of course, I cannot forget the midfield of Shakhtar. Fred was very strong. A level of a professor. Not for nothing did he at one time go to Manchester United.
Serhiy Dem'ianchuk