Dynamo Kyiv midfielder Andriy Yarmolenko participated in a pre-match press conference ahead of the match of the first round of the main stage of the Conference League against English Crystal Palace, which took place on Wednesday in Lublin.
Andriy Yarmolenko. Photo — A. Popov— Tomorrow you will play against a representative of the strongest league in the world. Will this help you show your best qualities or, on the contrary, weigh you down?
— We know who we are going to play against. Of course, Crystal Palace plays very quality, very aggressive football. We have watched a lot of matches involving the opposing team. We know their strengths. But first and foremost, we need to think about our game; we have our own style, our own tasks. Therefore, I am sure that the players who will take the field tomorrow will give their all to achieve a positive result.
— What do you remember about Crystal Palace from the times you played in the Premier League with West Ham?
— I don’t think there’s any point in remembering what Crystal Palace was like back then. Players change, coaches change. These are absolutely different teams when comparing the present to the times when I played in the Premier League.
— Last season, Dynamo performed poorly in European competitions. In this regard, what do you expect overall from tomorrow’s match, what is the team’s mood?
— Of course, we understand that last season was, to put it mildly, not the best in terms of our performance in European competitions. Therefore, this year we definitely want to correct the situation and will play only for victory.
— You have played against Crystal Palace three times. Will this help you recall the level of the Premier League?
— This is all experience that I have gained throughout my career. Experience helps every person in their life; it’s not just about sports. I hope my experience will help me play well tomorrow. I don’t want to predict the future; I’ll be able to answer your question after the game. Moreover, I don’t know if I will play—this is up to the head coach. But I can say one thing: every footballer should think about their game, strive to show their strongest qualities, but also think about team play to help your team win.
— The whole world knows what is happening in Ukraine. How do you personally cope with this? How much do you manage to bring some joy to Ukrainian fans through your play?
— Yes, we are still at war. It is very difficult. For everyone. Not only for football players but for all our people. Every day, the terrorist state kills our children, our women, our friends, our men... It is very difficult. Through football, we want to give at least some positive emotions to our people.
Pre-match press conference of Oleksandr Shovkovskyi.
Oleksandr POPOV from Lublin
