Defender of Lviv’s Karpaty, Alexey Sych recalled the match against Kyiv’s Dynamo (0:2) in the 18th round of the Ukrainian Championship and also spoke about adapting to his current team, which he joined in January from Rukh.
Alexey Sych against Vladislav Kabayev. Photo — Yu. Yuriyev— How are you? How do you feel after the last match in the championship against Dynamo?
— I’m fine, I gradually recovered. We trained and got back to form after that match.
— How difficult was it for you to play against Dynamo, considering there was a long pause in the championship?
— Well, Dynamo is a grand team in our championship. We had a transition from artificial turf to natural grass, so my legs felt a bit heavy, but overall we played well at times.
— Tell me, how were you and the other Rukh players received in Lviv’s Karpaty?
— Everything is good. We were received well, but at first, we needed to find some communication with the guys, because there are many older players here. But at the training camps, we found a common language and got to know each other. Plus, I knew many of the footballers, and they knew me, so everything was good.
— How do you assess Vladislav Lupashko as a coach?
— A good coach, with his own vision of the game and his own structure. Therefore, the football he installs is interesting.
— Where do you think the best conditions are — in Karpaty or in Rukh?
— I can’t say where the best conditions are, because Rukh had an insane base. Here, the base is also at a good level. They are just two different teams in football. Rukh has a younger team, while Karpaty has a mixed composition. They can’t be compared, because both were great.
— Last year you made your debut for the Ukrainian national team. Tell me a bit about what you felt at that moment and are you expecting calls for the next matches?
— Well, what I felt was probably one of the best sensations. In my opinion, for every footballer, a call to the national team is one of the most important moments in a career. Of course, I didn’t even think that I would be sent onto the field, but when it happened, I felt a little nervous. I stepped onto the field, and after a few minutes, everything was forgotten.
— Are you looking forward to the Lviv derby against Rukh? If you score against Rukh, will you celebrate the goal or not?
— Of course, I’m looking forward to this match with anticipation, and if I score a goal, I probably won’t celebrate, because Rukh gave me my way into football, since that’s where I received calls to the national and youth teams of Ukraine.
— Where do you dream of playing? What is your goal in your career?
— If we talk about the national team, then of course, I want to play consistently for the national team of Ukraine. In club football — to play in the top-5 championships.
Maxim Kovalenko
