Midfielder of “Dynamo” Valentin Rubchynskyi summarized the interim results of the training camp in Turkey and talked about the preparation for the Europa League matches.
Valentin Rubchynskyi. Photo: fcdynamo.com— Valentyn, how do you feel, what is your mood after the game day?
— Today was mostly recovery, light training — we ran a bit, stretched. Yesterday, there were two tough games, we were a bit tired because almost everyone played for about 90 minutes. So today was a light training session.
— These are the first winter training camps for you with “Dynamo.” What makes them special for you, what stands out, perhaps?
— The training camp is tough, you need to run a lot. In general, the current training camp is much tougher than I had before. But it took a few training sessions to get used to the loads, so now everything is fine.
— The first part of the Turkish training camp has come to an end, ahead is the official game. Can you draw any conclusions for yourself, was it difficult to get back into shape?
— I wouldn't say it was difficult, it takes about a week and a half to regain the condition I had before the break. I think we prepared well, and we will see during the official games how true that is. We had a number of friendly matches, which, in my opinion, were at a quite decent level, and official games will show the level of our readiness.
— Who do you personally communicate with the most in the team?
— I’m closest friends in the team with Vanat, Brazhko, Mykhavko. Also, of course, with Pikhalyonok, as we have known each other for a long time.
— Many footballers say, there’s not much free time during the training camps. How do you spend it?
— If I have it, I can play video games or cards with the guys. Of course, I also call my family.
— What stood out for you personally about the year 2024 that has ended?
— First of all, the fact that I moved to “Dynamo.” I also went to the Olympic Games and represented Ukraine there — this is a great achievement for me and for the whole country. It was nice to score my first goal there. Of course, I would like to have more playing time, but, in my opinion, the year turned out quite successfully for me.
— You scored the very first goal in the history of the Ukrainian national team at the Olympic Games. What moments can you recall as the most pleasant and, on the contrary, the most unpleasant in 2024?
— The most pleasant is the goal at the Olympic Games. The most unpleasant is probably the disappearance of “Dnipro-1,” the team I played for and which became dear to me.
— Who was the toughest opponent for you to play against individually?
— Probably, it was the Argentine Julián Álvarez when we faced Argentina at the Olympics.
— Who among the “Dynamo” players is the most relentless, with whom is it the hardest to compete in practice?
— I would name Popov and Brazhko, as they are very strong physically.
