In the Ukrainian championship, there is a pause due to national team matches. To maintain game momentum, Kyiv’s «Dynamo» played a friendly match. Their opponent was the amateur club FC «Lisne». The consulting coach of FC «Lisne», Oleksandr Ryabokon, shared his impressions of the sparring.
— We were offered to play. Thank you to the Dynamo players for agreeing. We also wanted to play against «Shakhtar», but they have a mini-vacation with many days off, so for now, it’s only with «Dynamo». The guys stepped onto natural grass for the first time. All training sessions were on synthetic grass. Considering who we played against, it was a very good game for an amateur team, especially the first half. There were some doubts that we wouldn’t have enough fuel for the second half, but until the last minute we tried to equalize the score, so a solid four for this game for our team.
— You said amateur team, but there are well-known players like Serhiy Rybalka, Denys Harmash, and alumni of «Dynamo». You also are not a stranger to «Dynamo», having gone through the Academy. How come there are so many Dynamo players now in Lisne?
— «Dynamo» is primarily a school. It is a good school; everyone who has gone through the «Dynamo» school knows how to stop, pass, and outplay. So if any Dynamo players want to play for Lisne, we’ll take all willing players even with our eyes closed.
My role in the club? Well, I have more of a consulting function; we have agreed for a short period of time for now. We will see; as of today, this is an amateur team that plans to enter the second league in the next championship. Currently, the club is undergoing certification; we will see how it goes. So far, the approach is serious. You can see the uniforms, their own bus, some things are in place, while some are not, but there is a strong desire to reach at least the level of the Second League.
— Will we see «Dynamo» – «Lisne» soon in the Ukrainian championship?
— Let’s not jump ahead for now. Our task for now is to win the regional championship, the amateur championship of Ukraine. And the most important thing is that all our hopes and those of every Ukrainian is that peace will eventually come. In any case, my opinion is that this is our victory because there were attempts to take over the whole country, we defended our independence, and that is the main thing.
— You coached Chernihiv’s «Desna», and we know what caused everything to fall apart and who was responsible. Then you joined the Armed Forces, were there for some time. What made you return to your usual job, to football?
— Well, first of all, I turned 60, and as there is a strong desire, I won’t say much about it. I am waiting for some call. I know that I will work in serious teams again. Maybe it’s Lisne, maybe something else. But something will definitely come up. In short, I have not yet said everything I can. I feel that I have the knowledge, the experience, and the strength, so once again, football comes first.
— You know the pre-war football, before the full-scale invasion. If we compare what was then and what is now, are we moving to a better level now, and how long will it take to reach an even better level?
— I think when the war ends, strong legionnaires will come, and the level of the championship will rise. For now, it has been a great chance for the youth, and I think it’s a completely right path. Many of our alumni, many got the chance, and a lot took that opportunity. This is the development of the club and football; a whole generation tried their skills at the level of the Premier League. When will we return to the strength we had before? I think maybe it will take another year. But let’s finish the war for now, and everything will be fine for us. The main thing is that the country is free, and the country is independent. And there will be a great moral uplift of the entire nation, including the footballers.
