On the eve of today’s match of the 3rd round of the main stage of the Conference League between Kyiv’s «Dynamo» and Bosnia’s «Zrinjski», a pre-match press conference of the head coach of «Zrinjski», Igor Stimac, took place in the conference hall of the «Arena Lublin» stadium, which will host this match.
Igor Stimac— We are facing a match with a very strong opponent, one of the strongest in the history of Zrinjski’s European cup appearances, with an incredibly successful history, trophies, and traditions. The guys are expecting an incredibly thrilling game, and I hope that we will all enjoy it together.
— Dynamo had an unsuccessful start in the main stage of the Conference League — with two defeats...
— This unsuccessful start in the conference was expected, considering the opponents that Kyiv «Dynamo» faced. First at home, but against «Crystal Palace», and then in Turkey against «Samsunspor» — these are very strong and classy teams.
So such results of «Dynamo» were not a big surprise for me. I repeat, I believe that Kyiv «Dynamo» is a very strong team, mobile, vertical, and fast, and it can successfully play against any opponent.
— How do you assess your team’s readiness for this match?
— We are in a similar situation to Kyiv «Dynamo», we have a very high playing and training rhythm. A few days ago, we had an intense derby with «Široki Brijeg», and «Dynamo» played with «Shakhtar». After this upcoming match, we have another difficult match in the championship.
Therefore, I think that both Dynamo’s head coach and I will rely on those players who have more strength now: defining the lineup now is primarily about finding fresh strength.
— Dynamo plays its home matches in Poland due to the war. How much will this be an alleviating circumstance for Zrinjski?
— There are no alleviating circumstances. After all, it’s not the stands, not the fans who play. Yes, fans are support, incentive, but the players who take the field representing the club should defend its honor, and I am sure Dynamo’s players do just that in these circumstances.
Moreover, undoubtedly, participation in the main stage of the Conference League is a challenge for the players of Dynamo, and they will do their best to score in the match with us. We will also try to match the strength of the opponent and do everything to leave here undefeated.
— What result will satisfy Zrinjski?
— Given that we currently have only three points, every point in the next matches is extremely important. We need to score at least six to seven points to reach the playoffs, and that is our goal.
Oleksandr POPOV
