In January 2025, Ukrainian forward Artem Beseidin, who played 19 matches for the national team of Ukraine, signed a contract with the Czech second division club FC "Lyshen", which was later renamed to "Artis Brno". The spring part of the season cannot be considered a success for the forward, who appeared in 57% of his team's matches. Why it turned out this way, and about the last phase of his career, Artem told the correspondent of Sport.ua.
Artem Beseidin. Photo: mafra.cz
— Artem, how are you?
— Everything is fine. I am with my team at training camp, preparing for the new season.
— In winter, when you signed a contract with FC "Lyshen", the agreement was set until the end of the season with an extension for another two years. How is it going now?
— Indeed, that was the case, but we discussed various nuances and came to the decision to extend the contract for another year.
— The team had the goal of being promoted, but it didn’t work out. Why?
— Our head coach was Milan Vlachovic, and then during the spring part of the season, the coach changed. The team was headed by Jiří Hitrý. This specialist previously worked as an assistant coach for the Czech national team under Jaroslav Šilhavý. So, under Hitrý, our results improved. The specialist pays a lot of attention to tactics, all training sessions are conducted in a game format, and we meticulously analyze our opponents. Everything is good so far. Many players from the higher division of the Czech Republic have joined the team. I think that "Artis Brno" will be in optimal shape by the start of the season.
— I understand that in the upcoming championship there will be a second attempt at promotion?
— That’s right. The club is fully focused on achieving this goal. Now it’s up to the team. We will prepare and try not to let down the president and the fans.
— In the spring, you played eight matches for "Artis Brno" out of 14 possible. Were there any problems?
— Due to injury, I missed about a month; specifically, I started having issues related to the aftermath of an injury I sustained at Euro-2020 while playing for the national team of Ukraine. But everything seems to be fine now, I’m working at full capacity.
— You have been playing in the Czech second division for half a year. How do you find the level of these competitions?
— Of course, in Kazakhstan, and particularly in Ukraine, the individual level will be higher, after all, they are elite divisions. But there are also plenty of strong players here. As for the teams, in principle, they are all of the same level. Only last season "Zlín" comfortably outpaced the competitors. All opponents are tough, I am sure the season will be intense and interesting.
— Do teams in the Czech Republic try to play more technically, or is physical football predominant?
— It varies. It depends on who you are playing against, at home or away. But in modern football, one cannot exist without the other.
— With your serious anthropometric data, do you feel like a fish in water?
— With the experience and skills I have, and when my health doesn’t let me down, I feel comfortable playing here.
— Have you already mastered the Czech language a bit?
— So far, not very much. The head coach explains some nuances in English, which I manage with more or less. But the Czech language is somewhat similar to Ukrainian, so I grasp the main essence during conversations with my teammates.
— Can you communicate on the street or, let’s say, in the supermarket?
— No. Hi, bye, enjoy your meal, thank you, please. So far it’s at that level (smiling). In principle, I don’t have a specific goal to learn the local language. I know Ukrainian, a bit of English. Since my family lives in Spain, I also speak a little Spanish. Theoretically, if the coach speaks Czech, I understand the main message.
— What do you like most about Brno?
— I haven’t gone on excursions (smiling). Overall, the city is beautiful; I mentioned that it somewhat resembles Kyiv. I like it here.
— What do you say about Czech beer?
— It’s very tasty. Footballers can afford to have a pint or two after the game.
— You must have been following "Dynamo". Did you congratulate your former teammates on winning gold medals?
— Yes, of course. But first of all, I sent a congratulatory message to the club president Igor Surkis. Dynamo players are great.
— In your career, you played not only for the national team but also for the youth team. Did you follow the Euro?
— Not directly that closely, but I was aware of the situation regarding the national team of Ukraine.
— What do you say about the performance of the "blue-yellows"?
— We had a strong team. And the coach is qualified. I know him from working at "Dynamo". It’s just a pity that we couldn’t achieve the desired result. I think the team lacked organization and cohesiveness. And at certain moments, some players lacked experience.
I believe that the key moment in this tournament was the loss to Denmark. Yes, they are a strong opponent, but they could have been beaten, considering how the match developed. In the match against the Finns, it seemed we corrected the situation, but it shouldn’t have come down to the last match with the Netherlands, as the Dutch are always strong, especially their youth and U21 teams. We have what we have.
— Finally, I wanted to ask. Can we assume that in a year you will continue to play in the Czech Republic?
— Without a doubt. While I would really like "Artis Brno" to move up to a higher division. I will give all my strength to help the team achieve this goal. And then we will see.
Sergiy Demyanchuk
