Olexiy Mykhaylychenko: «If Dynamo had reached the Champions League final in 1998/99, they would have beaten Manchester United»

The former coach of Kyiv’s Dynamo Olexiy Mykhaylychenko recalled the successful 1998/99 season for his former team, in which the Kyivans knocked out Real Madrid in the quarter-finals (1:1, 2:0), reached the semi-finals, where they lost to Bayern Munich (3:3, 0:1). It is worth noting that at that time Mykhaylychenko was one of the assistants to the head coach of the "white and blue" Valeriy Lobanovskyi.

«In his lifetime, Shovkovskyi saved so many penalties that he probably conceded less»

— After the previous 1997/98 season, where Dynamo reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League and were knocked out by Juventus, with what goals did the team enter the 1998/99 season?

— At that time, there was no question of reaching the semi-finals or finals. The task was to play as well as possible and go as far as possible. The goal always comes during the game. Just to give you an understanding, the post-winter period is a very difficult time for our teams. Teams from other championships are playing and gaining momentum, and Dynamo always struggles after the training camps.

I remember how we lost to Juventus in 1998. We played the first match 1:1, and that was somewhat an unexpected result. But unfortunately, in Kyiv we couldn't keep the necessary score — 0:4. If Dynamo had passed the first opponent after the winter break, they could have reached the semi-finals and the final.

— Dynamo started the Champions League qualification with a record victory over Barry Town (10:1 on aggregate).

— The game was in the summer, when Dynamo were in good form. Barry Town did not create any problems for us. It wasn't an outstanding victory, but rather expected.

— But you struggled against Sparta.

— Very! We could have not made it to the group stage. The first game was very hard for us, and we lost it minimally. The second match was also tough, and only a ricochet helped us win, reach the penalty shootout, and win.

— Shovkovskyi saved three penalties then. Was he somehow specially prepared for the penalty kicks?

— Shovkovskyi is one of the most unmatched goalkeepers in the world in penalty shootouts. Perhaps he and Mykhailov developed a special tactic for the eleven-meter kicks. In his lifetime, Sashko saved so many penalties that he probably conceded less. (Laughs).

«Luck helped us in matches against Sparta and Arsenal, and everything went much better afterwards»

— In the group stage of the Champions League, Dynamo started rather unconfidently — a loss to Panathinaikos and draws with Lens and Arsenal. Didn't you think that after the first round everything was lost?

— The turning point was the match against Arsenal when we equalized in the very last moments of the game thanks to Rebrov's goal. Back then, there was no VAR and, thank God, the referee didn't raise the flag for offside, even though there was none. This draw decided everything. If we hadn't earned that point, it would have been incredibly hard to get out of the group.

Then at home we beat Arsenal — 3:1. Sometimes you need a bit of luck. Luck helped us in matches against Sparta and Arsenal, and afterwards everything went much better.

— What kind of team was Arsenal at that time: a top team or a mid-table team in European football?

— Arsenal at that time was a 100% top club. Arsène Wenger instilled powerful football in the team. He brought in many players from France — current world champions. Back then, English football was not as diverse as it is now, and Arsenal played differently — more technically and combinationally. Wenger's Arsenal did not resemble other English teams.

— After Arsenal, for Dynamo to finish in first place, they needed two wins, and you achieved that — against Panathinaikos (2:1) and Lens (3:1).

— Lens was also a strong team — the champion of its country. The matches against Arsenal and the French in away games were the two best games of Dynamo in the group.

— Hotskevych said that in the match against Panathinaikos in Kyiv there was a very strong frost. After the first half, Dynamo was losing 0:1, and during the break, Lobanovskyi told all the players to take off their long trousers. After that, Dynamo won.

— That's how it was. It was a psychological shock from Valeriy Vasilyovych. Lobanovskyi, in my opinion, instilled a Spartan way of life and football in the team.

I remember a long time ago we held training camps in Germany. It was snowing, it was very cold, and we went out to spar against Bayer in short-sleeve jerseys that the administrator Pikuzo gave us. The Germans looked at us—almost went crazy. (Laughs). I know that after that, Pikuzo got a scolding from Valeriy Vasilyovych. It didn't look very harmonious to play in summer jerseys when it was snowing.

«We saw that Real was inferior to us in team speed. We played on this»

— How did you perceive the draw for the quarter-finals, where Dynamo faced Real?

— In the playoffs, we no longer looked at the names — the teams there were such that it was possible to grab your head. It was impossible to predict which opponent would be good and which would be bad. Lobanovskyi never paid attention to who we drew and never complained about it. “Real” is just “Real”.

— How did you gather information about your opponents at that time, as there were no platforms like Wyscout, etc.?

— When I joined Dynamo's staff, Lobanovskyi from the first days sent me and Veremeyev to watch the games of our opponents live. Veremeyev and I have different ages, we played different football, and Lobanovskyi wanted to hear two different perspectives from us.

Now coaches and scouts watch matches simultaneously on five computers. I cannot understand what such viewing gives. On the monitor, you see only a certain patch of the field, while we provided Lobanovskyi with full characteristics of the players — what they did, including without the ball, how the team moved across the entire field. In the television version, it is very difficult to understand the full picture of the game.

— Who impressed you in Real at that time?

— Real was very well staffed. On every position — a star! But we saw that Real was inferior to us in team speed. We played on this. The royal club somewhat reminded Dynamo (Tbilisi) from the Soviet era. If you let them play their football at Santiago Bernabéu, they can do anything. It’s like the Brazilians. But if you don’t let them play, then with each passing minute they will lose confidence. The main thing is not just to outpace and win duels, but to win the battle of characters.

— Did the Santiago Bernabéu crowd put a lot of pressure on Dynamo?

— Away with a full stadium it is always very hard. But at home, at the Olympic Stadium, we were supported by 80-100 thousand fans. The first minutes are exciting, but then you get used to the pressure of the stands.

— Were you satisfied with the 1:1 draw in the first match in Madrid?

— Of course. This draw was absolutely according to the game. I don't remember any significant advantage for Real.

— How did Lobanovskyi motivate the team for the return match in Kyiv?

— Valeriy Vasilyovych never had great slogans — that we must win at any cost. In the pre-match instructions, Lobanovskyi first of all said: “You need to go out and play as you can.” This applied to every player. The most important thing is for the team to be a single mechanism, and those who finished, and they were then in Dynamo.

— Belkevych was often brought on in the second half as a reinforcement. The match against Real was no exception, and Valentyn significantly added creativity to Dynamo’s attacking actions.

— Yes. Lobanovskyi always had a plan A and B, because with one tactic, you can’t go far if something needs to change during the game. Once we joked with Lobanovskyi on this topic. He says: “There should always be a plan B, and even a plan C.” I ask: “What is plan C?” — “To explain why plan A and B didn’t work.” With Valeriy Vasilyovych, it was very interesting.

— Did you celebrate the victory over Real (2:0) and the advancement to the semi-finals of the Champions League?

— No, we did not have time to celebrate. To be honest, under Lobanovskyi, I don’t remember any celebrations. Even after such victories as over Real, Valeriy Vasilyovych always told journalists who praised the team: “Calm down. Nothing has been achieved yet. The team is only on the way.”

— Maybe the Surkis brothers issued increased bonuses for that game?

— Honestly, I don't remember. There were sums that were agreed upon in advance that the team was to receive. I never paid much attention to money. They never stood in the first place for me.

— After the match against Real, the then president Leonid Kuchma went down to Dynamo’s locker room. What did he say to the team?

— Yes, he came in, congratulated us on the victory, and said that everything would be fine in the upcoming matches: “Guys, the whole of Ukraine is rooting for you. We are proud of you!” Kuchma liked to go to big matches. He often communicated with Hryhoriy and Ihor Mykhailovych Surkis. Kuchma is from Dnipro, a football city, so it’s no surprise that he was a fan.

«I am sure that if Dynamo had reached the final then, it would have beaten Manchester United»

— In the semi-finals, Bayern were waiting for Dynamo. In Kyiv, you led 3:1, but in the end allowed the Germans to level the score at the end of the match. Why couldn't you hold on?

— Perhaps our luck ended against Real. (Laughs). Of course, I'm joking because we outplayed Real, but a little luck is still necessary. We played very well against Bayern, probably one of our best matches of the season, but… The first and second goals in such a game should not have been conceded. First, Tarnat scored from almost 40 meters, and then Effenberg curved the wall that stood a little off as it should have.

— With what mood did Dynamo go into the return match?

— In Munich, we also played very well. We could have taken the lead, but we were a little unlucky, and then an incredible goal by Basler happened. Let them forgive me, but I am sure: if Dynamo had reached the final then, it would have beaten Manchester United. In the final, Bayern completely outplayed Manchester United, but made some unnecessary substitutions too early, and the English club took advantage of that in stoppage time.

If we had been lucky against Bayern, there would have been a great probability that Dynamo would have won the Champions League. But that’s just my opinion.

— What was the atmosphere in the team after being eliminated by Bayern?

— After such a defeat, there was great disappointment and emptiness. We could have performed much better and achieved more. We understood that, first and foremost, we were to blame for not progressing further. Somewhere we didn’t work hard enough. As Lobanovskyi said: “Defeats and victories must be forgotten quickly in order to move on. If you don’t forget a victory, it will relax you, and a defeat will press from within.”

«Back then, Shevchenko was a young boy with a different outlook on life. In my opinion, he is no longer the same Shevchenko»

— Let’s talk a bit about personalities. Who was the leader of that Dynamo in the locker room and on the field?

— The leader in the locker room was only one person — Valeriy Vasilyovych Lobanovskyi. No one else could voice complaints or explain anything. In the locker room, only he spoke, everyone else listened. And on the field, the leader was Oleg Luzhnyi, although at certain moments each player could take on leadership qualities.

— Could Luzhnyi voice any complaints to Lobanovskyi?

— No. I met Luzhnyi in 1989 when he just came to Dynamo. At that time, it seemed to me that Oleg was deaf and mute because he was constantly silent. He was very young, and veterans like Bal, Kuznetsov, and Balta were playing on the team, so he couldn’t speak. And then, when I returned to Dynamo a few years later, I saw Luzhnyi from a completely different side. This was a pleasant surprise for me.

— Luzhnyi was the kind of captain who could yell at anyone.

— That’s how it was at that time. In 1980, I met Viktor Mykhailovych Kolotov at Dynamo. He was a completely different captain — he proved everything with his actions on the field. Kolotov worked harder than anyone else in matches and training.

— And what were young Shevchenko and Rebrov like back then?

— Lobanovskyi said he would create a star team like in 1975 and 1986. And when you create a star team, there will always be star players in it. Those guys who accepted Lobanovskyi's views on football and believed in him achieved great success.

— In 1999, did you understand that this was Shevchenko's last season at Dynamo and he was moving to Milan?

— Yes, because the preparation for his transfer had been going on for a long time. When Braida and Chokhonelidze came to Kyiv, they asked me to help Shevchenko learn Italian and so on. The preparation for his transfer lasted a year and a half.

— Did you believe that Shevchenko could become a leader at Milan and a Ballon d'Or winner?

— It is impossible to predict such a thing. I could only wish him that and hope that everything would work out. We have seen many examples where high-level players and coaches, changing teams, couldn't find themselves in the new one. There is always a risk.

— Does Shevchenko the player you knew differ greatly from Shevchenko the president of UAF? How has he changed?

— He has changed a lot.

— In what way?

— I already answered your question. Back then, Shevchenko was a young boy with a different outlook on life. In my opinion, he is no longer the same Shevchenko.

— Do you not communicate with Shevchenko today?

— No.

— Yozhef Sabo told me that Shevchenko never even called him, though he spent more than one year playing under his guidance, while Rebrov, on the contrary, would always come up and greet.

— With Serhiy Rebrov, when we meet, we communicate very well. I have good, friendly relations with the entire 1999 team. It is clear that there is an age difference, but we respect each other. After Lobanovskyi, I worked with many players of that Dynamo. I have pleasant memories.

— Rebrov is a well-known radio enthusiast and is a world champion in this sport. Did anyone from the players complain to Lobanovskyi about Serhiy, saying that he does not let them sleep with his radio?

— That never happened. Rebrov was a true professional in this regard. His passion never interfered with football. Serhiy found free time for radio, he had a very powerful station on the base. Fortunately, there were no mobile phones back then, because none would work. (Laughs).

— Did Rebrov not get anyone into radio sports at Dynamo?

— I don’t know, I haven’t heard of anyone. After all, Serhiy's father was a well-known radio enthusiast. Rebrov grew up in that environment and that is why he found it interesting.

«Today, I have one dream — for Ukraine to defeat the enemy in the war. Then we will think about everything else»

— What was the secret of the success of Dynamo in 1999?

— It's hard to say in one word. First and foremost, it was faith in Lobanovskyi, understanding his requirements, unity, and friendship. The players were able to believe in themselves back then, that they could defeat anyone.

— It was indeed a legendary season. Now one can only dream of reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.

— Dynamo performed successfully in Europe in 1975, 1986, and 1999. As we see, time and selection of football players is needed to achieve success. Everything happened gradually.

— Do you believe that we will live to see the day when Dynamo plays in the Champions League playoffs and fights for a place in the final of the most prestigious tournament?

— I want to believe in this. But at this time, it is very hard to throw around our dreams. Today, my dream is one — for Ukraine to defeat the enemy in the war. Then we will think about everything else. After the start of the full-scale war, I couldn’t watch football or read a book for three months. Nothing was retained in my head. We need to survive this difficult time and thank our warriors for the fact that we can play football, shoot films, put on performances, and try to live a normal life.

Andriy Piskun