The famous football manager Vyacheslav Zakhovailo shared his thoughts on what prevented Dynamo from performing successfully in the main round of the UEFA Europa League.
Vyacheslav Zakhovailo— In the UEFA Europa League standings after eight matches played in the main stage, Dynamo ranked 34th out of 36 participants. How did you react to such a result?
— The result is negative. This fact generally demonstrated the defeat of the club, which devalues itself on the European stage with such results. It also shows the level at which all Ukrainian football, and Dynamo in particular, currently stands.
— What do you think is the main reason for the poor performances of the Kyiv team?
— Even after the match with Salzburg, which I attended personally, I believed in Dynamo's successful performance in the Europa League. At least at that moment, the Dynamo players were playing at a decent level. Even the defeat suggested that the Kyiv team would cope with the task of gaining 10-12 points in the main round of the Europa League.
As for the reasons, there are many. First of all, there were strategic errors in management. The decision to hold matches in Hamburg was a mistake; this issue was not fully thought through. In the process of preparing for games every week, Dynamo lost at least 36 hours. They simply eliminated these hours from their training regimen.
In my opinion, this played a cruel joke on them. Fatigue and lack of training due to time constraints did not allow a full tactical preparation of the team and proper recovery. I believe this became a significant problem and showed in Dynamo's performance in the European tournament.
— In the two January matches, Dynamo did what they could not do in the main stage of the Europa League in the fall — gain four points. Some link this fact to the return of veteran Andriy Yarmolenko to the team…
— I do not believe that his appearance played the main role. Yes, undoubtedly, for the young players of Dynamo, a figure like Yarmolenko means a lot. However, I view this result from a different perspective. For the Turks, we are always an uncomfortable opponent. And even though Galatasaray was on a roll, I was convinced that Dynamo could achieve a positive result in the match against the Istanbul team — at least not lose. I do not know why, but I was confident about this.
Despite the fact that I was surprised by what Dynamo players were doing at training camps, I awaited such a result. Based on how events unfolded in the match with Galatasaray, I can say that we were simply lucky with the draw.
— Did the fact that Yarmolenko scored two goals in the match against Turkish Galatasaray after coming on as a sub surprise you?
— No. When Yarmolenko scored the second goal with his head, it was a revelation for me. It seems to me that he has not scored with his head throughout his career. Unless by accident once, and that goal was a fluke. This fact made me smile a little. But regardless, Andriy did his job.
— How much longer can Yarmolenko be useful to Dynamo?
— I do not know how much longer he will last, but his age suggests that after the current Ukrainian championship, most likely, Yarmolenko and his family will make a decision: whether to continue his career as a player or not. As far as I understand, he will move to a different role in Dynamo. Andriy will no longer be a player but will become a functionary or a coach. I do not know for sure — it’s better to ask Yarmolenko himself about that.
— What can you say about the victory over the Latvian RFS?
— Unlike the match with Galatasaray, the result of the game with the Latvians was expected, as Dynamo is of a higher class. However, seeing the squad they fielded for this match, I did not believe that the Kyiv team could dominate and beat the Riga team. But fortunately, fortune was on our side. Pihalenko managed to score an illogical goal. Regardless, the outcome was predictable.
— Recently, Dynamo sold their main goalkeeper Georgiy Bushchan to Saudi Al-Shabab. How justified was this move from current tournament considerations?
— In the process of fighting for the championship, losing any starting player is significant. The fact that Dynamo is planning to sell players while not buying anyone to replace them greatly surprises and disappoints me.
— There has been information about interest from English Wolverhampton in the services of Volodymyr Brazhko. Is the player ready to perform at the Premier League level?
— The English pay large sums, and it is very difficult to refuse them. Therefore, regarding Brazhko’s potential transfer, I can say this: if the executives of Dynamo need money, they will not hesitate to sell the player. And one can understand them. If they do not need money but need prospects — in particular, to fight for the championship title, then I would not advise selling players.
— Do you think the transfer value of 20 million euros matches Brazhko's level?
— It is hard for me to assess the value of a player. A club acting as a potential buyer makes an assessment based on marketing nuances, evaluating the significance of a specific candidate for acquisition. Undoubtedly, Brazhko is promising, so why not invest money in this player? I do not know what the real value of the player is — 20, 15, or 10 million euros. However, the English can afford it.
— Who else, in your opinion, could Dynamo profitably sell?
— I believe Shaparenko is overdue to leave Dynamo, as he has overstayed his time there. This player has been feeling a lack of motivation for at least a year or even two. And we see this. If in the summer transfer window he does not transfer anywhere, he will likely end his career at Kyiv's Dynamo. As for saying that the capital club has players who are valued quite high and considered promising, it seems there is none. At least, with such results on the European arena, it is difficult to sell someone profitably.
— Which players from the current roster of the capital club have increased in value?
— As for me, no one. The Ukrainian championship, as it is, is unfortunately devalued in the eyes of European specialists, due to the performances of our clubs on the European stage. And the Ukrainian national team, frankly speaking, did not impress at the European Championship and in the Nations League, where it also faced problems. So football in our country is currently experiencing a deep crisis, reflected both in the standings and in the decline of coefficients, etc. Unfortunately, we have to live with this. And returning to the level that existed even before the full-scale war will be very difficult. Unfortunately, bad times await us in Ukrainian football.
Andriy Pysarenko
