On Wednesday, June 25, a press conference was held to summarize the 2024/25 season for Kyiv's Dynamo and the team's upcoming plans. The event was organized with the support of the new title sponsor of the capital club - the licensed bookmaker GGBET. One of those who spoke with the media representatives was the universal player of the "white-blues" Alexander Karavaev.
Alexander Karavaev. Photo — A. Popov— How do you assess the past season for "Dynamo"?
— More positively. We won the championship. It's a pity that it was me who missed that decisive penalty in the final of the Ukrainian Cup. We will train these shots. Although, I won't be allowed to take penalties anymore. (Laughs).
We will draw conclusions, and the new season will be different.
— But scoring a goal against "Shakhtar" in the championship - is that definitely positive for you?
— Yes, of course. You don't play, don't play, and then you come on as a substitute at the end of the match, score, and against a principled rival. Of course, these are positive emotions that will stay with me for a lifetime.
— Who would you like to meet in the European cups next season?
— All the teams participating in the European cups are strong. Moreover, on the one hand, you can’t really choose, and on the other hand, you need to focus on your goals. In our case, the current goal is to advance to the main stage of the Champions League. So whoever we get, we will play our own football and not pay attention to the opponent.
— Which team would you prefer to face from the pairing of the 1st qualifying round "Zalgiris" (Lithuania) - "Hamrun Spartans" (Malta)?
— It doesn’t matter. Maybe I’ll mention "Zalgiris" - it’s easier to get to Vilnius.
— When will you return to your Instagram page?
— I don’t think about it. I don’t see any sense in it. When you are a "Dynamo" player, you are already in the public eye, but I don’t have the desire to be in the media.
— What will you do after you finish your career?
— I haven’t thought about it yet. I have some thoughts, but nothing more. But I know that taking this step - finishing a career and starting to work in some other capacity - is very difficult for everyone.
— Who "kept" the atmosphere in the locker room last season?
— Knowing Andriy Yarmolenko and Vitaliy Buyalsky, I can say that they will give their all for the team.
For me, what was very indicative is this. When Andriy returned to "Dynamo," many young players immediately felt they had no chance to slack off or underperform: everyone was only thinking about how to get better.
I saw the eyes of the young players when they saw how Yarmolenko and Buyalsky worked in training.
— How do you cope with stress?
— Family. When you come home, you completely disconnect, football stays at the training base and the stadium. When the kids greet you, at that moment your whole world is right there.
— What was the biggest stake you placed on sporting events?
— Somewhere around 14 years old, I placed 20 hryvnias, lost, and realized that it’s not for me.
Alexander POPOV from KVC "Parkovy"
