Former Bukovyna forward Viktor Oliynyk — on the semi-final match of the Ukrainian Cup against “Dynamo”, which will take place on Wednesday in Lviv.
Victor Oliynyk (photo: bukfc.com)— Viktor Borysovych, the last time “Bukovyna” and “Dynamo” met was on May 7, 1994. This match took place in Chernivtsi, and you were the captain of our team. What are your memories of that match?
— Yes, it was a long time ago… I remember that I played as a central defender. We had some problems in the defensive line as several players could not play for various reasons, so the head coach decided to move me to the center of defense. Unfortunately, we lost 0:3. I remember that there were many fans at the stadium in Chernivtsi. “Dynamo” had a famous team at that time, the Kyiv side was much stronger than ours. For “Bukovyna”, among the more known footballers, there were Boris Finkel, Dmytro Bilous, and many players left the team due to financial instability. In terms of personnel potential and finances, we fell behind most of the top league clubs. Of course, Dynamo was the favorite of that match, so it was difficult to count on a positive result. In the previous game of that season, which took place in Kyiv, we also lost to the Kyiv team, but with a score of 1:3. In that match, I also played as a central defender. To be honest, if I hadn’t had to fill in at the center of defense, we would have conceded less (smiles). I lacked the experience to play reliably in defense. Viktor Leonenko scored a hat-trick then, and for “Bukovyna”, the only goal was scored by Leonid Fedorov from a penalty kick. I remember the performance of Luzhny, Shkapenko, Leonenko, Rebrov, and especially Sharan. I want to note that at the end of the 1992/1993 season, our team suffered significant losses. Many experienced and star players moved to other clubs, so it was hard to count on successful results in the following campaign. At that time, the colors of “Bukovyna” were mainly defended by local players.
— Starting from 1992, “Bukovyna” has played six official matches against “Dynamo”. Only in the first game did the “yellow-blacks” manage to draw against the Kyiv team, after which there were five losses. Why, in your opinion, were the matches with Dynamo so difficult for us?
— “Dynamo” is a truly strong team, the flagship of Ukrainian football. Just look at the players who played in the Kyiv squad at that time. “Bukovyna” in the 90s experienced not the best times, there was no proper funding. So, of course, we fell behind Dynamo in many components. And it wasn’t just “Bukovyna”, but all other top league clubs found it very difficult to compete with “Dynamo” on equal terms. If we talk about matches with “Dynamo-2”, we often defeated them. Back then, the second team of “Dynamo” also had plenty of stars or players who soon shone across Ukraine and even Europe. There were Belkevich, Hatzkevych, Husin, and even Andriy Shevchenko among many others.
— Did the coaches of “Bukovyna” prepare the players particularly for the match against “Dynamo”?
— We didn’t need to be particularly prepared, we understood which team we would be playing against. It’s “Dynamo” Kyiv! We all knew the responsibility of such a game, but if you prepare for this match differently, you can also “burn out.” There was tension, especially among the younger players, but I was already at an age where I had seen a lot in my football journey, so I didn’t feel any anxiety. I had already played against many famous teams, and even at the beginning of my career, I didn’t experience any nerves. I somehow easily tuned in for matches. I went onto the field and did my job.
— Do you remember what the atmosphere was like in Chernivtsi at the “Bukovyna” stadium during the matches against “Dynamo”?
— There was always a festive atmosphere! An hour before the starting whistle, the stadium was filled with fans! Not only star players from “Dynamo” were asked for autographs, but fans also paid attention to the players of “Bukovyna.” After the match, our fans long did not let the Dynamo players go, as it’s not often you can see such players, talk to them, and get autographs.
— Let’s go back to the memories of the previous match against “Dynamo” in the Premier League in the 1993/1994 season. Back then, among the substitute players of the Kyiv team was Oleksandr Shovkovskiy. Could you have thought at that time that from that young boy would grow a future legend of Ukrainian football and the current coach of “Dynamo”?
— Of course, I couldn’t even think about that at the time! Back then, any player from “Dynamo” could become not just a star, but also a legend of domestic football. All the prerequisites for this were there: both the coaching staff and the selection of players, and the status of the team. Everything was at the highest level. A few years later, this team was already playing in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Each player has a chance to achieve unprecedented heights. The main thing is to work hard so that later there is an opportunity to take advantage of that chance. In sports, as in life, you must work hard to achieve something.
— Throughout your career, you played almost 600 official matches, most of which— were for your native “Bukovyna”. Why were you so dedicated to the Chernivtsi team? And did you have offers from other top clubs in Ukraine? Perhaps even the opportunity to move to Kyiv “Dynamo”?
— I liked playing in Chernivtsi! In my personal opinion, this city is the most beautiful in Ukraine. The fans here love football very much, they always support their team at the stadium. I am local myself, so from my hometown of Kelmenets, four to five buses came to our home matches to support “Bukovyna.” The atmosphere at the stadium in Chernivtsi was something I didn’t want to change for anything. In 1982, I was invited to various famous clubs, including Kyiv “Dynamo.” Our then coach Oleksandr Pavlenko told me: “You are still too early to go.” Although such clubs do not invite twice. Perhaps I should have risked and tried myself at “Dynamo.” However, at that time, there were fears that I would not play in the main squad of the Kyiv team, which had stars like Oleg Blokhin and Viktor Klus in attack. But I regret nothing, as I spent many bright seasons with the Chernivtsi team.
— Do you envy the current players of “Bukovyna” that they will play against “Dynamo” in the semi-finals of the Ukrainian Cup? You didn’t have such an opportunity...
— What kind of envy is that? I am very happy for them! And it pleases me that “Bukovyna” has achieved such a result. It’s just a pity that we won’t play against “Dynamo” at home on our native stadium. With the support of the crowd, it would definitely be harder for Dynamo to oppose “Bukovyna.” It’s a pity that our team has come such a long way, having reached the semi-finals for the first time in its history, but will not be able to play this match at its stadium. I am sure that there would be a huge excitement on match day, all tickets would have been sold out on the first day of sales. It would have been a true football festival in Chernivtsi.
— What does “Bukovyna” need to do to get past “Dynamo” on their way to the final of the Ukrainian Cup?
— Here, luck is essential. Of course, “Dynamo” is a giant of Ukrainian football, a multiple champion and cup holder. Right now, Dynamo has a great opportunity to win the UPL gold medals. What more can I say... This is a very strong team, and we all understand that. You should also consider the field factor. In Lviv at the “Ukraina” stadium, the field is heavy, the legs “sink” immediately. As they say: “The ball is round, and the field is level.” Anything can happen. This is the Ukrainian Cup, an unpredictable tournament. Such matches can happen once in a lifetime, so players understand how to properly prepare for this match. Let’s not forget that “Dynamo” will play an important championship match against “Shakhtar” a few days after the cup match. I am sure they will keep this upcoming game in mind. We have a good team, so we expect an interesting match. I wish good luck to “Bukovyna”! I hope that our team will return with a victory from Chernivtsi to Lviv!
