Former midfielder of “Dnipro” Oleksandr Hrytsai talked about working under the leadership of Volodymyr Bessonov.
Oleksandr Hrytsai
— Your relationship with Bessonov did not start off well?
— I can’t say it was specifically the relationship. In life, Bessonov is a normal person, but as a coach... Some exercises, for example, were wild for us. The approach to the footballers changed after Protasov. We returned to training of the old model.
— What exercise impressed you the most?
— There was one. They placed a vertical stick and ordered us to jump in a slide next to it, and then with the other one the same. Without a ball, without anything. The Brazilian Alsides said he wouldn’t do it, while everyone else did. What is this exercise for? I don’t know. We never did it again. Maybe it was a one-time “event”, whether we liked it or not, we didn’t like it.
— Bessonov sent the team leaders to the reserve team after a while — you included. What was that about?
— I understand that it was agreed with the management. They planned to make a reboot because he probably couldn’t make such a decision himself.
— How did Bessonov treat the footballers?
— He didn’t start direct conflicts, but for example, I didn’t like how I was treated when they sent me to the reserve team. I was sitting at the training base, preparing for the training, and I received a call. I answered, and some woman said: “Oleksandr, you are training with the reserve team.” I asked: “Who is this?” The answer was “From the reception”. I thanked her and hung up. That is, the head coach did not inform me himself, or at least sent an assistant! This directly indicates his attitude towards the footballers.
— How did the others learn about the transfer to the reserve team? Did you meet there and surprise each other?
— They didn’t explain it in any way. I don’t know, to be honest, there were 6-7 of us. We took it with humor.
Right after Bessonov's appointment as the head coach, the “wonders” began. He was introduced to the team, we went to the conference room, where a meeting took place. The first thing Volodymyr Vasylovych did was draw the path of a footballer with chalk on the board: played a game, then beer, vodka, then dancing at a disco, and then a coffin.
We didn’t understand anything, we laughed. We looked at each other, and this after the educated Protasov, just imagine.
— Was there training afterwards?
— Yes, there were about 25 of us, a bit too many at that time. Bessonov said: “I can’t train 25 footballers, I can train 18.” He counted 7 people out and sent them to the reserve team. Then he returned me to the team and later — the story with the reception. I think this was decided even before appointment, when he was working as the sports director. But it was definitely discussed with Stetsenko and the upper management.
I played a game in Poltava for the reserve team, it was by my choice, and after the game, I was returned to the first team. I played the opening match at “Dnipro Arena” and after that game, I was sent back to the reserve team.
Ihor Lysenko
