Former midfielder of Kyiv’s “Dynamo” and the Ukrainian national team, now a well-known coach Sergii Kovalevets shared his thoughts on the chances of Ukrainian clubs to reach the main rounds of the European cups.
Sergii Kovalevets“Dynamo”
— Sergii Ivanovych, what are fans of “Dynamo” hoping for in the return match against “Maccabi”?
— True fans of the team will always believe in the team until the end. In recent weeks, a lot of criticism, mostly deserved, has been directed at the Dynamo players. The chances of reaching the Champions League were decent, but now their performance in the Europa League is in question. I won’t be setting the team up, as I am not the head coach of the “white-blues”, but I am sure of one thing: Dynamo fans have the right to expect a more emotional performance from the team. Any slip can be forgiven, but it should be evident that the players are giving their all on the field, showing character and will. We do not see any sparks in the performance of Oleksandr Shovkovskyi's team on the European stage. This also applies to team play. However, I really want to believe that in the return match against “Maccabi”, viewers will see something resembling real “Dynamo”.
— Are the Kyivans capable of doing this?
— I think so. A fan will forgive everything except indifference and cowardice. The Ukrainian team has experienced players who not only can, but also must lead their younger partners.
— In percentage terms, how much do you give “Dynamo” to reach the group stage of the Europa League?
— It’s difficult for me to say, as I am not inside the team and do not see the players’ eyes, their mood, or the atmosphere within the collective. I can only assume, knowing the players' capabilities, that it is possible for “the white-blues” to overcome two goals. If we cannot control the ball like the Spaniards, then we must employ pressing and activity, which, I hope, we do not currently see in Dynamo's play.
— Why? After all, compared to last season, the squad hasn’t changed.
— From my perspective, every season the team needs to be refreshed with several new players for healthy competition. And in “Dynamo”, this is lacking at certain positions, so players may become complacent.
Before the start of last season, even Josep Guardiola made such mistakes, saying that he had a good team and thus did not need to spend money. We all saw where “Manchester City” finished last season in the English Premier League and how the team performed in the Champions League. He later acknowledged his mistakes, emphasizing that he lacked players who can hold the ball. It is precisely such players that “Dynamo” currently lacks, as they have a lot of losses during transitional phases, especially from defense to attack.
— After the first game with “Paphos” in the Champions League, all experts unanimously claimed that we would see the real “Dynamo” in the return match. But we haven’t seen it either then or in the game with “Maccabi”...
— Unfortunately, that is true. Today, perhaps we still won’t see the real “Dynamo”, but I have a feeling that the team will be tuned for success.
“Shakhtar”
— Arda Turan’s team outperformed “Servette” significantly in the first match.
— Yes, “the Miners” couldn’t finish off their opponent, although they had plenty of chances to do so. However, these chances are currently the most among all Ukrainian teams.
— Do you anticipate such a turn of events where the Swiss team could bounce back in the second game? Would this be a failure for “Shakhtar”?
— Undoubtedly. Remaining without a group stage in the European cups, even if it’s the Conference League, would be a blow to “Shakhtar’s” ambitions. If we recall the matches of “the Miners” against “Beşiktaş” in the Europa League, everyone thought that Arda Turan’s team would go far, but now, however it unfolds, the team could end up without European competitions altogether. Nevertheless, I think this is the least likely scenario. “Shakhtar” must overcome “Servette”.
— The Donetsk team has started to make mistakes more frequently. “Panathinaikos”, “Karpaty”, “Servette”...
— The team has a new coach. And, as we can see, not everything is going smoothly at first. Brazilians are brought in to be sold profitably in the future. Therefore, the motivation for Latin Americans is higher when they play in European cups. I am confident that in the upcoming game they will make their mark.
“Polissya”
— Will it be difficult for “Polissya” in Italy to jump above their heads?
— In the first game, the Zhytomyr team played for a goal, but they lacked the experience for such encounters. However, considering the experiences of Ukrainian teams from previous years, this does not apply to “Dynamo” and “Shakhtar”, “Polissya” can already receive compliments, as they have passed two stages, and now they face a very strong opponent from a very strong championship.
— Can we allow for the fact that Ruslan Rotan has just taken over the team?
— Absolutely. I completely agree with the coach who said that by winter he would determine the main lineup. The team, if I’m not mistaken, has 14 legionnaires, and now the starting lineup consists mainly of Ukrainians. Foreign players need to be adapted to Ukrainian realities, and this is a huge workload. For example, in “Shakhtar”, this process has been underway for over 20 years, while “Polissya” is just beginning this path.
Nevertheless, I believe that in the first match against “Fiorentina”, the Ukrainian team looked decent, which I wish for them to demonstrate in the return match.
Sergii Demianchuk
