Former Shakhtar forward Andriy Vorobey commented on the performance of Ukrainian clubs in the European Cups.
Andriy Vorobey"Many feared that Ukrainian teams would struggle because we had not competed in this format previously. But in fact, Dynamo and Shakhtar showed good football in January and contributed points to Ukraine’s tally. The start of the second half of the season began successfully for our giants. These results inspire hope for the future. Yes, if we take the season overall, it was unsuccessful, but this January stretch was lucky.
As for the results of Dynamo and Shakhtar in the UEFA Youth League, many understood that we were not the favorites. Essentially, that’s how it turned out. Shakhtar and Dynamo lost to Hoffenheim and Atalanta. But no one will criticize them for that. It’s good that they even made it to this round. That was already a small success.
What needs to be improved in the game and in the squads of Shakhtar and Dynamo? I believe that strong legionnaires are needed. We need legionnaires like those from the 2010s who were at Shakhtar when there were good opportunities. Good legionnaires came here, who really strengthened the game of teams—not just Shakhtar and Dynamo, but also Metalist, Dnipro, and Donetsk Metallurg. Clubs were strengthened by legionnaires! And such players are needed now. But not every team can afford to sign a legionnaire for a lot of money these days. It’s a tough question! Therefore, teams are fortifying themselves with low-profile transfers and are trying to somehow get through this period in an economical way. But I will say once again that good, quality legionnaires are needed. We have many Ukrainian players within the championship. They exist, but quality legionnaires are still needed. We see how this is lacking in European Cup matches, and so on. The whole of Europe watches European Cup matches, and it’s clear what is lacking in the game of Dynamo, Shakhtar, and other teams," said Vorobey.
