Midfielder of Kryvyi Rih’s «Kryvbas» Denis Kuzyk recalled the times he spent in the structure of Kyiv’s «Dynamo» (2021−2023).
Denis Kuzyk. Photo — FC «Kryvbas»— You had a chance at «Dynamo». I know that you didn’t make it to Kyiv the first time.
— Yes, we went to play in a tournament with the Youth Sports School from Pidvolochysk in Bila Tserkva. After the matches, a scout from «Dynamo» approached my coach and invited me to a trial at their Academy. A month later, I came to Kyiv with my dad.
After the first tournament, they wanted to say goodbye to me, but one of the coaches, Yuriy Mykolayenko, believed in me and gave me another chance. In the second tournament, I performed well, I was finally taken into the Academy, and my parents and I moved to Kyiv.
— In Kyiv, from 2015 to 2021, you interacted with many talented Ukrainian players. Who would you highlight?
— I would highlight Illia Zabarnyi. Although he is four years older than me, we played together in the Academy. He is currently playing in the EPL for «Bournemouth». He deserved this chance with his hard work, which he is using now. I also played with Vladislav Vanat and Volodymyr Brazhko.
— Do you have any interesting stories from your time at the «Dynamo» Academy?
— We played in a tournament against «Sheriff» in Moldova. I remember there was a penalty shootout, and after several missed shots, the opponent didn’t score a single goal. After one of them, I miscalculated, thought we had won, and was very happy: I started joyfully running, shouting and greeting my teammates. However, everyone around remained calm and did not understand my excited emotions. I remember that moment, as it was funny and very awkward. But in the end, we did score and ultimately won.
— Who were your coaches in the Dynamo Academy?
— My first two coaches there were Valeriy Kinoshenko and Yuriy Mykolayenko. Then I was coached by Yuriy Dmytrulin and Artem Yashkin. After them, I worked with Oleksandr Sytnyk and Volodymyr Samborsky. Everyone I worked with had a significant impact on my further professional career, for which I am very grateful.
Pavlo Klymenko
