When children who wrote letters with their wishes and dreams to the football Santa came to the Dynamo club base in Koncha-Zaspa, they were met by the players of the youth team «Dynamo». Defender of Dynamo U-19 Denys Dykyi shared impressions from the meeting with the little footballers, his expectations from the upcoming training camp in Turkey, where the team will prepare for the second part of the season, and thoughts about the future opponent in the UEFA Youth League Atalanta:
Denys Dykyi. Photo: fcdynamo.com
— How did the meeting with the little guests who are also passionate about football go?
— I am very glad to see the children who came here and support Dynamo, I really hope that they will become great footballers in the future, whom we will follow, in general, very good impressions.
— The team is preparing to go to a training camp in Turkey, what are your expectations for it? What mood will you travel with?
— With a very good mood. First, we rested during the vacation, then we met again with the team, now, as always, we are going to the training camp with renewed strength, to gain shape and prepare for the UEFA Youth League.
— How did you spend your vacation?
— Very well, with my relatives, I rested, stayed home, I was very happy to see them.
— In what condition is the team after the vacation? Do the footballers have any extra weight or health problems?
— No, everything is good, everyone passed the medical examination, did the yo-yo test, everyone is in normal condition. We were sent individual programs during the vacation, we trained and diligently fulfilled everything that was required. In general, the team is in good shape.
— Have you already had training sessions in Kyiv? What have you been doing since gathering at the base?
— Yes, we have already had training sessions, we gathered on January 16, held the first session: we had a light workout in the gym, ran, gaining shape — everything is standard.
— What do you expect from the training camp in Turkey?
— We expect to gain form, to unite, since there are many players in our squad who have come from the Academy, these are young guys who need support, to show them how to act. Friendly matches are also planned, we will get used to playing together, so we are preparing.
— Have the new players already blended into the team?
— Yes, they are very good guys, so everything is fine.
— Do you already know which friendly matches will be played during the training camp?
— No, I don't know yet, we are waiting for them to be finally confirmed, and then we will be informed about them.
— Usually, a training camp is a challenging process, especially in the first few days. Will it be physically hard this time as well?
— Yes, of course, training camps are very tough, it’s always running work, and also working on after-training with the ball. There might be running on the sand too, that is hard as well, but we have to go through all of that. We are gaining form to become stronger, to show ourselves in the UEFA Youth League and in the U19 Championship of Ukraine.
— What do you expect from the upcoming match with Atalanta? What is your opinion about the opponent?
— I watched Atalanta's matches, they are a very good opponent. You know that the Italians have a high level, but we will do everything to win, to advance further in the UEFA Youth League. The mood is only combative, we are seriously setting ourselves up for this match.
— What was your first reaction to the draw? Did you want this opponent or perhaps another one?
— We don't care who the opponent will be. When I saw that we got Atalanta, I was neither upset nor happy, the UEFA Youth League is a very strong tournament, there are no weak opponents, so you can't underestimate or overestimate anyone.
— What result are you counting on in the match against Atalanta?
— I can only hope for victory, we will play our football as we know how, and we will do everything to win.
— What are your individual plans for the second part of the season? What do you strive for, what goals and tasks do you set for yourself?
— I want to show myself, play better than in the last six months. I really want to score a goal, as I cannot manage to do it, and also to provide more assists. As for team goals, I want us to be champions again and show that we can.
The interview was prepared by Kateryna Shestopal'ko
