Last weekend, the season in the Italian Serie B started. There is one Ukrainian playing in this league - Bohdan Popov, who had a spectacular performance in his first match for Empoli, scoring two goals that helped his team win against Padova with a score of 3:1. The 18-year-old forward spoke about his adaptation to Italian football and shared his plans for the near future.
Bohdan Popov
— Bohdan, judging by everything, your adaptation in the first team of Empoli is going well?
— Yes, everything is fine with me. We have a good team, the group is friendly, so working is a pleasure.
— You moved to Italy from the Polish club Zabrze. How did you attract the attention of the Apennine club?
— That's more a question for my agent Andriy Holovash, he dealt with these issues. But as far as I know, it wasn't all easy, but it's even more pleasant to realize that we managed to do it and now I defend the colors of Empoli.
— And you started at Dynamo. Did you have to leave because of the invasion of Russia into our country?
— Yes. Like many of my peers, I became a hostage of the situation. But as it turned out later, in terms of football, I definitely won.
— Are your teammates at Empoli aware of what is happening in Ukraine now?
— Of course. Many ask me about what is happening in our country, but the most important and pleasant thing is that all the teammates support me.
— Did you see no prospects for growth in Ukraine?
— Back then, I didn't think about it. Now I have something to compare it with.
— Are you now a full-fledged player of the main squad of Empoli?
— Yes. The coach trusts me.
— By the way, what did head coach Guido Palyuka say to you after the game?
— He congratulated me on the goals, praised me, and asked me not to stop at what I have achieved (smiles).
— That's right, a forward must score, but what other tasks does the head coach set for you?
— It depends on the game and the specific situation. Our coach is demanding and always reacts quite harshly if something is not right. But that only drives me to work as qualitatively as possible.
— You were named the best player of the match against Padova. How did your teammates congratulate you?
— Everyone was sincerely happy; I heard many kind words directed at me in the locker room.
— Does your team have the goal of promotion to Serie A?
— No one is talking about that yet. We are forming a new young team, and all concentration is on that. I think the goals for the season will be set depending on our performance in the near future.
— And what personal goals do you set for yourself?
— Perhaps these will be loud words, but I will strive to become the main forward of Empoli and the national team of Ukraine.
— Who is your idol among central forwards?
— It's hard to answer this question. There are good forwards, but they are different in style. If we're talking about stability and the level of leagues, then it's most likely Robert Lewandowski.
Sergiy Dem'yanchuk
