Former striker of the national team of Ukraine Ivan Hetsko shared his impressions of the performances of the players of Dynamo and Shakhtar in European competitions and told whether the intrigue will return in spring in the fight for the title of champion of Ukraine.
Marinko Pusic. Photo: Getty Images— Of course, I am very disappointed with the performance of our giants on the international stage. The worst part is that they managed to earn "their" points over a long tournament distance, even though it cannot be said that all their opponents were insurmountable. Therefore, the main culprits are themselves.
— Have you already figured out why this happened?
— Shakhtar had a more balanced squad than the Kyivans, most of the players had serious international experience, but I was surprised that all failures were attributed by the coaching staff to logistical problems and bad luck. And this is not the first time. In my opinion, one of the reasons for the defeats of the Donetsk team is the ineffective work of coach Marinko Pusic. For some reason, the club's management does not notice this. It should also be noted that the leaders of Shakhtar played poorly in the Champions League.
As for the failure of the Dynamo players, otherwise, their performance in the Europa League cannot be called, the youth, which was heavily relied upon, clearly did not meet expectations. Still, for various reasons, the Kyivans often played not in an optimal lineup.
— But despite the problems, club bosses decided to sell their leaders in the heat of the season. Why?
— In my opinion, changes occurred in the strategy of Shakhtar and Dynamo. The financial component came to the forefront; the main thing now is to stay afloat. Perhaps, clubs believe that their students will find it easier to progress abroad, which will allow them to earn again upon the next resale. These are the realities.
— At the moment, which team’s game, Shakhtar or Dynamo, has left a more coherent impression on you?
— Shakhtar looked better; they definitely have more quality performers.
— Then how do you assess Shakhtar’s chances of returning the intrigue in the fight for the UPL championship gold?
— They are quite high, especially since the leader – Dynamo for some reason neglects strengthening the squad, although several positions in Kyiv are vulnerable. Everything will depend on whether the pursuers have enough stability. I tend to think that it will be very difficult for Dynamo, but that solid points reserve after the autumn part of the championship should help them maintain the advantage and again rise to the top step of the podium.
Andriy Pysarenko
