On Monday, March 3, a press conference was held to summarize the results of the Kyiv "Dynamo" pre-season preparation and the team’s plans for the second half of the current season. One of the participants in the event was the midfielder of the "white and blues," Andriy Yarmolenko.
Andriy Yarmolenko. Photo — A. Popov— How unusual and difficult was it to hold official matches in January?
— Of course, this is something new. And everything new is interesting. So it was interesting to test myself in January with such matches.
— How much did this affect the preparation for the second part of the season?
— Our job is to prepare, to train, and planning is a question for the coaches.
— Why did you say that you liked the new format of European competitions?
— I already explained why: you always want something new. So it was interesting.
— Have you ever wanted to have less responsibility on your shoulders, to "breathe out," so to speak, from the pressure?
— Pressure is responsibility. It’s nice when people expect more from you. And you also demand more from yourself. When you are 18-20 years old, it is hard to deal with pressure, but you find the strength within yourself, and then it becomes easier.
— Milevsky recently got upset with Vanat's joke. What is your view on this situation?
— Listen, I followed this on the internet with a smile. Both are adults. If there are any claims, you can find a phone number, get in touch, and resolve all problems. As far as I know, they settled everything and have no problems.
— Would you have gotten upset by such jokes?
— No. But we are all different. We shouldn’t be the same, and that’s normal. Everyone has their own sense of humor.
— In March, the Ukrainian national team will play against Belgium in the Nations League playoffs. Are you expecting a call-up for these matches? Have you talked to Rebrov about this?
— We are constantly communicating with Stanislavovich; we have known each other for a long time. Whether I get called up or not depends only on him. I try to give everything I have on the football field. If I deserve it, I am sure I will get called. And if not, then there are better players at the moment. There will be no hard feelings in any case.
— After turning 30, has your approach to preparing for matches changed? And how does your recovery process go now?
— Recovery? On a bus or a train? That’s how I recover: I made some "mihivka" soup and move on. (Laughs).
If seriously, of course, after 30, you take recovery more seriously, you devote more time to it than to work on the field or in the gym. A lot of time goes into recovery—massages, treatments, swimming pool, nothing new. I think it’s the same for everyone with age: even if he doesn’t want to, life will force him.
— Are you ready for some unusual actions if you win the championship?
— I am not ready for anything. We are not champions yet. There are many questions about the championship, but nothing has been done yet. Almost half of the championship is still ahead, we have many away matches. The whole struggle is ahead. So there’s no need to ask such questions. It seems like you want to relax us. And our job is to stay cool-headed and prepare for each game as if it were a final.
Oleksandr POPOV from KVC "Parkovyi"
