Defender of Luhansk’s Zorya, Roman Vantukh, talked about a period of his career spent at Kyiv’s Dynamo.
Roman Vantukh during his performances for Dynamo— You joined Dynamo when you were 17. How did that happen?
— I finished school and needed a change because there was no U-19 team in Lviv. There were different options, but the most attractive for me was Dynamo (Kyiv). I went there, and within a few weeks, Rusyn and I signed our first professional contracts.
— Wasn’t it daunting to move to Kyiv and join such a serious structure?
— It wasn’t scary, but it was tough. It probably took a whole year to adapt. Plus, there was a difference in the level of football. At Dynamo, some of the best players would come, and you always had to compete for a place in the team, which, I think, is where progress came from.
— Rusyn, Tsyhankov, Mykhailychenko, Lednev, Popov — these are not all of your then teammates in Dynamo’s youth teams. To whom did you give the most assists? With whom was it most comfortable to interact?
— You’re naming great footballers; they have all reached a high level. The level of Ukraine’s national team. I can’t say to whom I gave the most assists, but it’s a fact that it was pleasant to play with those guys.
— At that time, Spanish specialists, brought in by Serhiy Rebrov, worked throughout Dynamo. Is it true that they focused more on technique and combination football, while the old-school wing of Dynamo’s academy called for a different style, including frequent long-range shots?
— This development vector coincided with my time at Dynamo, and I believe it had a very positive impact on me. I began to think about and see football from a slightly different perspective, and I have only positive memories of this period.
As for the old-school coaches, I can’t agree with you. At that time, the head coach of U-21 was Moroz Yuriy Leontievych, and they worked in tandem with Vicente and complemented each other very well. The microclimate was excellent, and the players' understanding of the game was too. There was no contradiction between coaches; I think these stories are made up.
— In 7 years of contractual relations with Dynamo, you never played for the first team. Why did that happen?
— I regret that it turned out this way… I really wanted to make my debut and try my strength in Dynamo’s jersey, but not everyone gets such an opportunity. I had certain periods when it seemed like my chance was right around the corner. There were different periods… There were moments when I didn’t deserve it, and there were also times when everything was going well, and then an injury would throw me off track. I’m only 27; maybe I’ll still get that opportunity, we’ll see.
Danylo Vereityn
