On Saturday, August 2, in the match of the 1st round of the Ukrainian Championship for the 2025/26 season, Kyiv’s «Dynamo» defeated «Veres» away with a score of 1:0. The match took place in Rovno at the «Avangard» stadium. We present to you the post-match press conference of the head coach of the capital team, Oleksandr Shovkovskyi.
— What is wrong with Denys Popov?
— We received a signal from him about cramps, and therefore we replaced him to avoid any negative moments.
— Will he be able to play against «Pafos»?
— I think it’s nothing serious. But let’s first get to Lublin, and then we will assess the condition of each player.
— What did «Dynamo» lack to play this match more calmly?
— I think it was primarily the result. (Smiles). And of course, it was very hot.
In preparing for this match, we saw how «Veres» acted in sparring matches. So the opponent did not surprise us today with their tactical setup. We were ready for them.
The moments that were at our goal came after our own mistakes. However, I believe we were closer to doubling the score. There were moments for Vanat, Yarmolenko, and there were several excellent crosses that we couldn’t convert. As in the past and the last seasons, it was quite difficult to play here. We should give credit to «Veres», which played a good match. But we took three points and are moving on.
— Will we hear news about strengthening the squad of «Dynamo»? Is any work being done in this regard?
— Work is constantly ongoing. But very often, players try to use the club «Dynamo» (Kyiv) to raise their salary or something similar. Negotiations start, then the family factor comes into play, and then players move to other clubs or want to significantly improve their contract conditions. That’s the situation. It was the same in all cases.
— Voloshin came on the field after the break. Did Kabayev not cope?
— I never comment on players’ actions. We will sort it out. We have a very tight schedule; we need to take care of the players. Everyone must be ready to go on the field at any moment, considering the situation, tactical, and other factors.
I congratulate all «Dynamo» fans on the victory. Wishing everyone a good, quiet, and peaceful evening and night. Glory to Ukraine!
The post-match press conference of «Veres» head coach Oleg Shandruk.
Oleksandr POPOV from Rovno