Winger of 'Karpaty' Yevhen Pidlepenets commented on the team’s results in the autumn part of the Ukrainian championship, assessed the chances of Lviv in the match against 'Dynamo', as well as in the season overall.
Yevhen Pidlepenets (photo: fckarpaty.org.ua)— Karpaty are sixth in the UPL standings. Do you think the team could have performed better in the first half of the championship?
— I believe that everything is logical. In some matches, we didn’t take enough points, while in others, on the contrary, we got lucky.
— Karpaty lost in the autumn not only to 'Dynamo' (1:3) and 'Shakhtar' (2:5), but also to all direct competitors in the fight for the upper part of the table – 'Polissia' (1:3), 'Oleksandriya' (0:3), 'Zorya' (1:2), 'Kryvbas' (0:2). What are the reasons for these failures?
— I don’t see anything terrible in this, because against strong opponents, we tried to play attacking football with high pressing, so that our fans would find those matches interesting to watch. Of course, we could have just squeezed into our penalty area and defended, but that is not the way of 'Karpaty'. Moving forward, I think we will be able to beat such teams thanks to our style of play.
— You are one of the leaders of the team in terms of matches played and performance (3 goals + 3 assists). How do you evaluate your performance in the first half of the championship, did you achieve everything you planned?
— I played quite well. Although in some matches, I could have played better. I am very satisfied with the fact that I was able to create decisive actions with the leaders of our championship.
— You have been with 'Karpaty' for the second season now. What has changed in the team and club since Andrii Rusol and Vladyslav Lupashko started working with you? Perhaps something surprised or impressed you personally?
— Yes, new management and a new coaching staff came in. A lot of things have changed, and it is hard to say everything at once. The main thing is the atmosphere within the team, which has become much better, everyone is smiling, and everyone arrives at every training session in good spirits. I am confident that many things have improved for the better.
— In winter, 'Karpaty' significantly strengthened. Steцьkov, Syч, Kvasnytsia, Fedor, Krasnopir, Tanda joined. What are your impressions of the newcomers –who has already adapted to the new team?
— I will say this, all these guys are very quality players who will help Karpaty become stronger in the future. It is very good that the newcomers are decent and hardworking, so they quickly blended into the group. From our side, we welcomed the new players very well, and I see that they feel comfortable in our team.
— How do you evaluate the winter training camp in Turkey? What did the head coach say after its completion?
— The camp went well. The coaching staff said that we did a good job and accomplished everything that was planned. In Turkey, we had very good conditions for training and accommodation. I believe we had good sparring matches, despite the different results of the games. I am confident that all the guys gave their all in every training session and every match.
— What goals do you set for yourself in the second half of the championship?
— First of all, I need to help secure results in every game. As for personal plans, I want to score as many goals as possible and provide assists.
— Andrii Rusol said that European cups – this is the team's goal for the upcoming season. And this spring, what will Karpaty be fighting for? Is it realistic to compete for the top 4?
— If the management sets such a task for the next season, then we will try to fulfill it. For now, we want to create a very competitive team that will play at the level of any opponent. Speaking about this season, the goal is to show modern and progressive football that will be interesting for our fans and the players themselves.
— At the start of the second half of the championship, 'Karpaty' have a match against 'Dynamo'. Can you take points from Kyiv?
— We will try not to stray from our style, as it doesn't matter to us whether it's 'Dynamo' or any other opponent. I think if we don't betray our football, then results will come.
— The main intrigue of the spring – will 'Shakhtar' catch up with 'Dynamo' in the championship race. In your opinion, will the Kyiv team maintain their lead?
— I think everyone will be interested to watch the championship race this season. Will 'Shakhtar' catch up? In football, anything is possible, which is what makes it wonderful and interesting.
Sviatoslav Vasilyk
