Former goalkeeper of "Dynamo" and "Paphos" Arthur Rudko shared his impressions of the matches in the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League.
—Arthur, after Dynamo's elimination by Paphos, there is a popular opinion about the regression of the Kyiv team compared to last year’s qualification. Do you agree?
— Yes, I can agree with that. I won't assert it categorically, but the players’ attitude towards teams from Cyprus could have played a cruel joke. Over the last few years, clubs there have risen due to foreign players.
—Is it quite difficult to play in Cyprus due to the climate?
— Definitely. Combined with the crazy support, it adds its mark. They really know how to cheer in Cyprus. One of the local peculiarities is to score and then dry the game. A quick goal conceded, coupled with crowd pressure, the score difference, and weather conditions—all of this became fatal for Dynamo.
—Do the Cypriots not hesitate to use all means for the result?
— They will fall down, scream, and the physios will help stretch the time. It was the same in my time. I got the impression that they, apart from football, attend acting classes (smiles). All methods come into play.
—This leads to the conclusion that Dynamo lacks the class to put the opposing team in its place?
— Let’s be honest, today’s UPL cannot provide the same intensity, not to mention the times before the full-scale war. Currently, there are very few teams that can offer such intensity. Yes, everyone is discussing Shakhtar’s last match with Karpaty (3:3), but the Lviv team needed a year of working in training and matching games to reach this level.
As I mentioned, Paphos has come a long way to achieve this. They started inviting players of good level. The coach has been working with the team for several years (Juan Carlos Carcedo took over Paphos in the summer of 2023—editor).
—You spent three seasons in Cyprus. Back then, it seemed that players went there mainly to end their careers. Is this trend still relevant?
— Today in Cyprus, they can afford to lure players with good contracts. If we talk specifically about Paphos, it has become a good team. The coach was given time to work because they change coaches every six months as soon as something goes wrong.
Now it’s difficult for us to compete with the Cypriots—remember AEK (Larnaca), which defeated Dnipro-1 and Dynamo in the Europa League. And they were not even champions! But in possession, they outperformed all opponents because the Spanish school, no matter how you twist it, is felt. Now Ukrainian football must accept the fact that we need to catch up.
—Could the setback from Paphos serve as a wake-up call for Dynamo in terms of transfer work?
— Young players should grow up in an environment with good performers. Today’s Dynamo has almost transitioned entirely from youth football to adult football, and for them, nothing has changed in terms of the conditions they were created in at all levels.
—How did this work in your time at Dynamo?
— A simple example: playing with players of the same age, you might miss some hints or “pushing” through your ears. I remember my time at Dynamo—going through all the ranks up to the first team with games in the Champions League, not everyone could make it to the first team. You had to compete with Koval, Boyko, Bushchan, Rybka, and Shovkovsky himself. If now they leave training when there is minimal discomfort, in my time you had to fight because at any moment a boy on the rise would take your place, and you would be said goodbye.
In this regard, Sergey Viktorovich Krakovsky was very tough. We practiced exercises from which you would see black and just wanted to pass out. If I didn’t endure and walked off myself—it was a handshake and wish of good luck.
—But you also experienced the Spaniards brought by Sergey Rebrov and got your chance.
— Before Rebrov’s arrival, it was generally impossible to get to the first base, even to watch training. Sergey Stanislavovich began to involve youth more. During national team breaks, games were played where they were given chances, and Rebrov knew everything about all the players of the double, second team, and further down the line.
He understood who was capable of what, thanks to which Tsygankov, Mykolenko, and Shaparenko started to play. They all saw in front of them Yarmolenko, Lensa, Mbokani, Dragovic, Lensa, Veloso, and not that everything revolves around Buyalsky and Andriy Mykolayovych.
—You had a strong school at Dynamo, competing with Shovkovsky, and at Shakhtar, working with Andriy Pyatov. What was the difference?
— In my case, to become a main player at Dynamo, you could do it only if Shovkovsky was not playing or if there was a change of coach with different requirements for goalkeepers. I got my chance only because Oleksandr Volodymyrovych had finished playing at that time.
I’ve been a goalkeeper all my life who played in a different style, while at Shakhtar they demanded that a goalkeeper play with their feet, look for passing lines, participate in buildup.
—Once, after failing to qualify for the Champions League, Dynamo changed the coach immediately. Does the status of a living legend threaten Shovkovsky’s future?
— Back then, even less legendary figures were sent into retirement. I am not inside the team, and it would be wrong to give some advice. The management of Dynamo will make its own assessment, and we will see there.
—Dynamo and the Europa League—what’s next?
— Dynamo must fight for the Europa League. We need to look at the facts and dry numbers, draw conclusions, and move forward.
—Last year we saw that the Europa League was not interesting for Dynamo. What can help avoid failure in the European Cups?
— Playing in the championship and European cups in today’s realities is very difficult. Logistics won’t get better, the factor of a long bench also plays its role. A long bench is needed not just for quantity but a whole squad that can withstand the load and can enhance Dynamo’s game. Quality performers are needed that you can rely on.
Oleksandr Karpenko