Former FC Dynamo Kyiv defender Vladyslav Vashchuk shared his thoughts on the Champions League main round match between Bayer and PSG.
Vladyslav Vashchuk. Photo — FootBoom— Vlad, Zabarnyi gave away two penalties against Bayer and was sent off, previously played unsteadily when PSG conceded three times against Strasbourg. What’s happening with Illia? Has he lost confidence and is this due to psychology, is he an overrated player and this is his true level, or are these unfortunate matches just coincidences?
— I think Illia played while tired, and that’s the reason. He plays many matches without substitution, and Luis Enrique is grooming him as a key central defender. I believe Zabarnyi’s red card will be his first and last for PSG, this moment will give him experience. I am confident Illia will analyze his mistakes, discuss them with the coach, and not repeat them in the future. He will miss one game, have a little rest, and return even stronger. Yes, he got a red card, but PSG won the match confidently, so there’s nothing terrible.
— How much do such errors psychologically affect a player?
— It all depends on the head coach. Enrique has a completely different approach than our specialists, who would shout that everything’s lost after mistakes and call the player weak. Spanish coaches don’t press or say you’re nobody.
— So there’s no reason to fear that Luis Enrique will send Zabarnyi deep into reserves after such a match?
— Of course not. Enrique sees that Zabarnyi has tremendous potential. In his first game for PSG, Illia played cautiously, afraid of making mistakes, but with each match, he improved and became a leader on the field. Enrique feels this and likes it.
— A red card in your career is remembered against Spain in the 2006 World Cup. How did you experience that moment, and what did Blokhin tell you?
— I always worried about mistakes, analyzed them, and tried not to repeat them in the next game. Blokhin didn’t say anything to me then; I was beating myself up. But against Switzerland, I was already in action and played a confident match.
— What would you advise Zabarnyi from your experience?
— Nothing terrible happened. He needs to analyze the mistakes and move forward. In the moment with the red card, he should have played with his body, and the Bayer player would have been pushing Zabarnyi from behind. Let Illia rest a little and get back to the fight. He will be fine.
Andriy Piskun
