Central defender of Dynamo Christian Bilovar commented on the matches against "Shakhtar".
Christian Bilovar
— How satisfied are you with your performance this season? And how do you feel about your role in the team?
— It’s not for me to assess my role in the team. That’s for the coaching staff. As for the season, I can simply say—I’m satisfied with it. I believe I have played enough games to say that I contributed to the championship victory.
— You received good press after the match against "Shakhtar". Tell us how this game went for you.
— At that time we returned from Rome from a Europa League match and I started the game on the bench. It seems that Denis Popov got injured in the 10th minute. I don’t remember exactly. I came on and didn’t even have time to get nervous because it happened so quickly. I managed to play well in that match.
And, probably, it was one of those matches that helped me feel more confident in the team, on the field, and contributed to my progress.
— You have been with "Dynamo" for a long time. How significant is "Shakhtar" as an opponent for you?
— Well, of course, they are a significant rival for us. It’s a derby. There are always bigger emotions involved, but I would also like to recall the words of our coach Alexander Volodymyrovych. Last season he always said that it doesn’t matter who you play against, since every game gives three points. It doesn’t matter if it’s "Shakhtar", "Oleksandriya", "Inhulets", or "Obolon". Each game gives three points.
It’s always nice to win against "Shakhtar" in the derby, but to win the championship, we also need to beat other teams. They too give three points just like "Shakhtar".
— The rivalry between "Dynamo" and "Shakhtar" often goes beyond the field. How did the team react to Turan’s words about "Dynamo" and Bondar’s comments regarding the level of opponents in European competitions?
— Honestly, I didn’t hear or read Bondar’s words at all. I apologize, but I don’t read much press and don’t often follow football news. I’m aware of Turan’s words.
As Andriy Mykolaiovych Yarmolenko said, if a person comes to a club like "Shakhtar", and the first thing they say is about "Dynamo" Kyiv. And so does Bondar. When they probably have very important games in the Europa League and he talks about our opponent in the qualification, then surely we have earned through our play and work that they talk about us.
Iryna Kozyupa
