This Thursday, October 2, Kyiv’s Dynamo will play a match against English Crystal Palace in Lublin as part of the first round of the main stage of the Conference League. The day before the game, a pre-match press conference was held in the conference hall of the Arena Lublin stadium, which will host this match, with the head coach of the Ukrainian team, Alexander Shovkovsky.
— At the moment, your team has certain problems with defense. Will this affect your strategy, especially since your opponent hasn’t lost in 18 matches?
— We understand perfectly well who we are going to play against, in which league Crystal Palace operates, the condition this team is in, its rise, and its achievements in recent times.
We have spent a lot of time analyzing the actions of Crystal Palace, seeing both excellent organization and discipline, quick attacks, and very dangerous set pieces. Our latest training sessions have focused on being as well-prepared as possible to counter the opponent in various areas of the pitch, as well as defensively, in midfield, and in attack.
— Your team has recently looked better during set pieces. Is this the result of the Polish coach you recently invited to your staff?
— I’ll answer briefly: that’s precisely why we brought in a specialist who works with the team on set pieces.
— Is there any priority among the tournaments you are participating in? Can we expect certain rotations in the squad?
— When we are in such a busy schedule, we must make rotations; we cannot do without them. This is important for players to understand their significance to the team, and also to prevent anyone from overexerting themselves and thus reducing their effectiveness. So, there will be rotation, but it will not affect our strategic plans: we will play to the maximum in every match; the task of winning in every encounter has always been and will always be before the team.
— What is the personnel situation in the team before tomorrow’s match?
— Unfortunately, we cannot rely on all players. Those guys who missed the match against Karpaty are still recovering, and this is a certain problem for us.
— The Conference League is a new tournament for Dynamo. The main stage will end in December, and there will be no January matches as there were in the Europa League last season. In this regard, have you developed a strategy for winter training during the off-season?
— Of course, we must look to the future, but everything you mentioned has no bearing on tomorrow’s match.
— How well has your team managed to forget the setback against Karpaty?
— Each game must be viewed in light of the events that transpired on the football field. If we look at the game against Karpaty, abstracting from certain moments, then considering that we finished the match with a score of 3:3 after being down 0:2, it can be seen as a good result. However, since we were up 3:2 and could have scored a fourth or fifth goal but ended with 3:3, this certainly does not add positive emotions. Moreover, this is the third consecutive time we have let victory slip away in the last minutes of the match.
We discussed all of this with the team. Certainly, players feel pressure, but for a team like Kyiv’s Dynamo, that’s normal, and it’s an inherent part of every player performing at this level and in such a team. We certainly must quickly get through both painful losses, painful draws, and victories as well. But we understand: if it’s painful, then it’s good because I’ve never seen anyone become stronger when everything is going well, when they are only winning. It is precisely through these painful moments that character is forged; an athlete and indeed a person becomes stronger. Some are capable of doing this, some are not.
— The UPL and EPL are like two different sports. How ready is your team for a transition to this level?
— Certainly, Crystal Palace plays almost every other game in the EPL as if in European competitions. This could be the Champions League, the Europa League, or the Conference League: Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Newcastle… Other teams could also be listed. This certainly adds charm to the EPL; it is the best league in the world. We understand this perfectly and emphasized this to the team. To play with such teams from the best leagues, one must be ready 100%, but at the same time, one must also realize their readiness, which depends on the psychological and physical state of the players. We understand this well, and we talked about it too.
In conclusion, I want to say that today is Defender and Defenders Day. Football in Ukraine exists now thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, our defenders, and defenders, who are defending the country from an aggressor that has come from Russia. We are grateful to the United Kingdom for the assistance it provides to our country. We greatly appreciate this and feel this support.
Thank you to our defenders! Wishing everyone a quiet, peaceful sky and undoubtedly for all of us, Victory!
Pre-match press conference of Andriy Yarmolenko.
Alexander POPOV from Lublin