The former forward of Kyiv’s "Dynamo" Viktor Leonenko shared his expectations for the final match of the Ukrainian Cup, where "Shakhtar" will meet "Dynamo".
Viktor Leonenko— What are your expectations for the Cup Classic?
— "Shakhtar" needs to jump higher than their heads to win. And in the qualification of European cups, our teams have nothing to do, since we lost the direct ticket to the group. There are no weak teams in the Champions League, so "Dynamo" will definitely suffer in the qualifiers. Players and coaches themselves dream of a strong opponent to have an excuse.
Many write about the Classic, but in reality, as always, there will be one and a half chances for both teams. Look how "Barcelona" and "Real" played! It turns out that when the score is 0:2, you should not give up. Seven goals among the two! That’s what I understand as mastery, there were practically no mistakes.
Therefore, I expect quality and a decent game from "Shakhtar" and "Dynamo".
— Who do you consider the favorite of the match "Shakhtar" - "Dynamo"?
— May the stronger win. The main thing is that the referee doesn’t make any nonsense. It’s wild for me when the referee looks at VAR for five minutes and sees nothing.
— "Shakhtar" bought Brazilians for 32 million euros this winter. Do you think they will grow into top stars like Fernandinho and William?
— They should. The level is now such that even a good footballer needs time. Our generation was not given time — they were bought and played immediately! Now the legionnaires need to get in sync, go through adaptation, and mentality plays a huge role. Moreover, all our footballers are used to complaining about the road as if no one ever traveled by bus and train.
Will the Brazilians of "Shakhtar" grow up to the level of William and Fernandinho? I would like that, but first they need to find a coach. "Shakhtar" missed with Pushich, as well as with Fonseca and Castro. For me, a coach is the one under whom footballers grow, while the Portuguese already worked with ready-made players.
— What was the biggest prize in your time for winning against Shakhtar?
— In my time, there were no big prizes. It was the "wild" 90s. I remember that for winning against "Spartak," I got the most money among the "Dynamo" players, plus an Audi as a bonus.
— What do you think the current prizes are in "Dynamo" and "Shakhtar" for winning in a direct match?
— I’m not interested in that. Now players should generally pay, not be paid. Today, boots are lighter than a wedding ring, and we have excellent infrastructure, fields. And footballers show nothing. How can you watch UPL after the match "Real" - "Barcelona"?
— The Classic has always been known for its principled play, fights, and red cards. Do you think there will be red cards in the cup match?
— Do you want to place a bet? (laughs, — note A.P.). If there are expulsions in such a match, you can immediately say that these are very stupid footballers, like Kryskiv in the first round. If he hadn’t received a red card, "Shakhtar" would definitely not have lost, and maybe even won. In that game, the "miners" were leading and looked better than Dynamo (referring to the match of the 11th round of UPL when "Dynamo" and "Shakhtar" played 1:1, — note A.P.).
— Your prediction for the Cup final?
— I don’t make predictions because I’m smart. Some experts love to guess and then hide in the bushes. I want the fans to be satisfied, for the match to be productive, but not through silly goals, and let the stronger win. I am always neutral when giving interviews. It’s commentators who somehow cheer for one team and even advise players on what to do on the field.
Andriy Piskun
