The head coach of the Ukraine U-20 national team, Dmytro Mykhailenko, shared his impressions of Chile, where the national team will go for the World Cup.
Dmytro Mykhailenko (photo: D. Balashov)
— Chile is a distant world for us. How will the team get to the World Cup?
— Our journey begins with a train from Kyiv to Chełm. Then we take a bus to Warsaw Airport, and from there we fly to Paris. After a day, we depart from the capital of France to Santiago. The flight will last 14 or 15 hours.
This means the entire journey from the train station in Kyiv to the hotel in Chile takes about 40-42 hours or almost two days.
— You have already been to Chile for the draw. What are your impressions of the country?
— It’s a wonderful developed country and the best in Latin America in terms of GDP and lack of crime. When you ask what to see, Chileans don’t mention architecture but say: “Nature.” They have the Andes running across the country like a swimmer in a fish. The mountains are snow-capped, and from any point, you can see this mountain range. And we will also be in a city where the ocean is just endless. It’s very beautiful.
The country has very developed agriculture. And at the border, they prohibit bringing in apples or, God forbid, any seeds, so that nothing can be planted there. They have fantastic cheeses, fruits, and vegetables. This is not a jungle. There is a different flora that resembles ours more. The country is really cool and beautiful. There’s a lot to see.
I have been to Colombia, Brazil, and Panama, where there are many beggars on the streets asking for alms. There are none of that in Chile. They have a very strict immigration system, and everyone works. Migrants from Venezuela or poorer countries must have a job, so everything is under control. You feel safe in Chile. This is a very rare thing in Latin American countries.
Iryna Kozyupa
