Former midfielder of Kyiv's Dynamo Andrei Oberemko commented on his former team's performance in the Champions League this season, where, recall, in the 3rd qualifying round the "white-blues" failed to pass the Cypriot Paphos (0:1, 0:2).
— When you learned about Paphos after the draw, did you expect a tough opponent or a more manageable one?
— In the Champions League, there are no easy draws at any stage; it’s European competitions and the most prestigious tournament, so every opponent is a challenge.
— Can the elimination by Paphos be considered disgraceful, as some fans say?
— From the standpoint of fans’ expectations and hopes—perhaps. But everyone sees only the final result. I’ll emphasize again—there are no easy and predictable teams in the Champions League.
— After the match, fans noted that Dynamo under Shovkovsky lost all important matches: last year’s Champions League qualification, Europa League group stage, and the Ukrainian Cup final. Doesn’t this indicate that Dynamo players are psychologically unprepared for important matches?
— Listen, fans and we, observers, can note anything. But we all see only the tip of the iceberg; we don’t know what’s happening inside the team. We don’t know any detail of the overall process: what difficulties Dynamo faces daily, who is injured or unfit to play, what happens in the families of players and staff. It’s a continuous process of any team as a living organism that affects the results.
— Has the team’s game changed over the past year, and does it meet modern requirements of European competitions?
— Honestly, I haven’t been closely following and analyzing Dynamo, so I can’t say whether their style has changed. But every coach has their own unique style and influence on all processes in managing the team. It can already be said that today’s Dynamo is Shovkovsky’s Dynamo, not Lucescu’s.
— In your opinion, is it time for Shovkovsky to leave his position as Dynamo’s head coach? If so, who should become the next mentor?
— I have great respect for Alexander Vladimirovich. I will never criticize the work of my colleagues. It’s important to understand that until you find yourself in that position, you can’t grasp all processes of the team’s life and what every coach feels. Fans see the game only through results, not the process itself. The role of the coach is creative; we have the right to make mistakes, as only those who do nothing don’t make mistakes.
Before our eyes, the formation of coach Alexander Shovkovsky is happening. Therefore, I don’t want to discuss the next coach; I wish that Alexander Vladimirovich is given a chance and trust to continue building a competitive team. He has already proven his worth with quality work last season when Dynamo won the championship without suffering a single defeat.
— Was the passive play of Dynamo players in the match against Paphos due to fatigue from the workload or a reluctance to finish the match?
— Do you understand under what conditions Dynamo prepares and competes? All these logistical problems related to constant travel mean that players don’t have a proper training process—travel and recovery consume all the time. The team should not be accused of a reluctance to finish; everyone did their utmost at that moment.
— So what is the reason for the two unsuccessful matches of Kyiv against Paphos?
— I believe it’s missed scoring chances in the first match and serious defensive errors. These factors led to such results.
— Whose error was it on the first conceded goal in the away match?
— In my opinion, it was Neshcheret who made a mistake in exiting the goal. He’s a young player, and it’s natural for young players to make mistakes. There was a misunderstanding with Mikhavko—they were relying on each other. But this is experience that will be useful.
— Kyiv players constantly faltered, made inaccurate passes, and lost players in matches against Paphos—does this indicate a lack of skill?
— When you play under the pressure of results and need to rectify the situation, you rush and get nervous—hence such mistakes. Moreover, Dynamo needed to come back, which opened up the game for Paphos.
— Who, in your opinion, performed the worst in the two matches against Paphos?
— Oh, it’s characteristic of our people to look for blame. I will not highlight anyone at all. Winning and losing is always a team effort.
— About the absence of scoring chances: what does Dynamo lack in the finishing phase?
— I would slightly turn the question: perhaps it speaks about the quality of the opponent’s defense, which acted very organized and covered each other. There is a saying: discipline beats class. Paphos in this confrontation looked like a united team playing at the limit of their abilities—disciplined, selfless, and organized.
— Do you agree that Dynamo currently lacks a leader to guide them?
— Dynamo has always had leaders in every line. Now the only leader I see is Andriy Yarmolenko—a true legend and symbol of Dynamo. But it’s hard for him to carry the team alone. I expect more from Shaparenko, Vanat, and Brazhko—these are quality, bright players. The youth should also mature faster, not be afraid to take responsibility, risk, and show themselves.
— What needs to change in the club so that this doesn’t happen again?
— This is sports; it’s impossible to predict whether this will happen in the future. I would say we should address our giants collectively, since Shakhtar also dropped out of the Europa League. This is a more complex question. We all need to work to raise the level of the championship. Look at how much talented youth Ukrainian football has lost over the past three years. A strong championship breeds competition and raises the overall level of players. And how to make it stronger—that’s a question for everyone involved in the development of football.
— For several years now, Dynamo has been expected to perform successfully in Europe: the team has a core, and players are not in their first season. Why isn’t it working out?
— Everyone lives on the past successes of our clubs, so expectations are too high. But the level of European teams is steadily rising, enormous funds are invested not only in transfers but also in infrastructure, new methodologies and technologies are being implemented at the national program level. This leads to growth even in countries previously considered non-football countries. Therefore, this can happen repeatedly. But we have no right to stop developing. New faces are already appearing in the UAF, who are trying to introduce new ideas, starting from children’s football. There is no other way for us.
— What’s your prediction for Dynamo in European competitions? If they remain in the Europa League, will they advance to the playoffs?
— I don’t like to guess what will or won’t happen. We need to take it step by step: from match to match, from failure to success. This is precisely why we love football—it’s emotional ups and downs for everyone.
I wish all Ukrainian clubs only luck, strength, and success. Only by overcoming difficulties can we grow and move towards our goals. That is our destiny. And the main thing is for peace to come to Ukraine and for the country to begin to live rather than just survive.
Andrey Vitrenko