Former Shakhtar Donetsk player Taras Stepanenko, who is currently playing for Turkish club Eyupspor, shared his thoughts on the current realities of Ukrainian football.
Taras Stepanenko
— What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from your experience in Turkey — perhaps a lesson that you would like Ukrainian football to learn?
— The most important lesson is not tactics. What I learned is that our players, who have been playing in Ukrainian football for a long time, especially Shakhtar or Dynamo, often overestimate their experience. Ask Sikan, Zubkov, Batagov (Trabzonspor players, — ed. note). When you come here, even if you have a name, you have to understand that every transfer window, they can buy a player more or less for your positions. They have the money.
The big three have top numbers, but even Trabzonspor can easily spend up to 10 million. Even my team can buy a player for 2−3 million hryvnias and pay them like we pay to Shakhtar or Dynamo players. Why do we see when Samsunspor plays against Dynamo, they win 3:0? Because they have good players, there is competition, there is a budget to attract players.
We must understand that there is a vacuum in Ukraine: «we are Dynamo — Shakhtar, we are super football players» — but that’s not always true. You need to get out of this warm bath to understand it and prove your level.
The level at Dynamo, among our players, is very high. But to show yourself in different realities, you have to get out of your comfort zone. I know it’s not so easy to do, but for me, it was a marker.
If we take the Turkish championship — what is its strength? There are 3−4 top-level teams, and the other 12 teams are completely equal. Each team arrives knowing they can win or lose because the level of players and budgets is more or less the same. And that greatly stimulates the championship.
— How do you see the performances of Ukrainian teams in European competitions?
— I don’t like the performances or the quality of play. I follow Shakhtar and Dynamo. I understand that Shakhtar is a team that has had several new players join in the last 1.5−2 years. And the average age, let’s say, is 23−24 years. A new coach, again — you can still attribute some things to this. Time is needed…
There are many Brazilian players. I know how to work with them. They have very high potential, but it still needs to be unlocked. Not everyone, like Kevin, can play. Plus, Zhora Sudakov left, who already had a certain status in the team and could have helped.
— But Dynamo essentially plays with the same lineup. Why doesn’t it work for them, and why don’t they show such football?
— Maybe they need to refresh the squad with new players, but, obviously, there is a war, and there is no opportunity [to invite quality newcomers, especially from abroad]. And Dynamo’s position regarding promoting their players from the Academy is right, and I agree with that. But, I think, without fresh blood, it’s impossible. There needs to be some impulse, power.
Sometimes I look: well, the coach can’t enhance the game because there are no players who can beat one-on-one and deliver results. We are used to Shakhtar and Dynamo playing in the Champions League, well, at least in the Europa League. And the Conference League is a good tournament for teams that have never played in European competitions and always occupy 4th-6th places at home. It’s a tournament for small countries where football is only developing. And with such a history, Ukrainian clubs should play at a more serious level.
— Matches between Shakhtar and Dynamo are always special. How do you see the recent confrontations?
— I read everything and watched these two matches.
— So, you read. What do you say about Popov’s emotional statement about a «parody»?
— Popov later said he didn’t mean it that way. We understand that when emotions are high, and you haven’t won against Shakhtar for many years, and then you win — in the heat of the moment, in joy, you might say something like that. Maybe Popov didn’t mean what he said, but I think he understands it’s disrespectful.
The most important for me is that you can win or lose, but showing disrespect is wrong. You must respect your opponent, no matter how principled the match was. That’s why Shakhtar’s reaction in the second match was appropriate. I really liked how the young players reacted. They didn’t do anything wrong, but in terms of footballing anger, they worked hard and delivered. For them, it was an impulse that wasn’t there in the first match.
I think Denis motivated them. It was nice to see two teams fighting until the end, battling. At least it created a football atmosphere that we haven’t seen in our football recently.
— So one could say Shakhtar’s response was more eloquent than any words?
— I believe that for us, it was a principled fight. Sometimes it wasn’t very good after a game, and I took part in it. And that’s ugly football. But when it’s a principled men’s fight on the field — that’s appealing. We understand that we are now united in one cause in cheering. That’s all right. But sports anger should always be on the pitch. I saw it in the second match, and I liked it.
— Speaking soberly, what are Shakhtar’s chances this season in the championship and European competitions?
— Honestly, I looked at the teams playing there. I don’t want to offend anyone, but I don’t know many teams, and I don’t even see how they are performing there. We need to play in Iceland. Let’s be frank: we should just come and beat such teams, even if we don’t have any mood or emotions.
Yes, even under Lucescu, Shakhtar would beat Dynamo, and then go to Malmö and barely move, and we got «blown away». Thank God Pyatov saved the penalty, and at home, we beat them and won the match. That’s football, one might say.
But by names, by team levels in the Conference League, there are always chances. And it depends on the mood. The Poles went out: maybe they don’t have such quality, but they were charged, ran, fought, and won. Even though they have problems there, I read, with the coach and results. But in terms of desire, they outperformed and outplayed, so they won. Now football is like that, everyone has to «work hard». Just without emotions, without discipline, without desire — it’s impossible to win.
— In your opinion, how can Ukrainian clubs start winning again — not only in domestic competition but also on the European stage?
— Well, I think first of all, we need to come down to earth and understand that, unfortunately, our level is not what it used to be. We might compensate for our current level by working more disciplined, more intensively, more correctly. That is, to improve. There’s no limit to growth.
We must understand that the intensity of our championship is currently not at the European level. Therefore, we need to build it up ourselves. Winning the Ukrainian championship 2:0 or 3:0? Still striving for more! To realize those physical capabilities, we need to be on the level of at least an average European championship.
It’s not always easy to do, especially with many relocations, flights. But at least try in the game! Because now, in my opinion, without good physical preparation, it is very difficult. Watching the matches of Ukrainian teams: sometimes you can even see that someone doesn’t have the necessary preparation, but they win because they are faster in transition phases, better in tackles. And this gives small pluses, and eventually, you succeed.
— What to do, especially in times of war?
— Don’t lie to yourself. It’s necessary to raise the level of the championship. Little by little, I think it’s growing. We see teams challenging the giants for second, first place. The table is denser than before. Even in such difficult times, people are doing a lot, especially the functionaries, the people who sponsor. They support the progress of the teams, so good players come in, they incentivize with salaries, bonuses. This is very important because we understand that football is also a business.
The Turks always ask me: «How is it that Ukraine plays football during wartime?». They simply don’t even understand this. We were traveling by bus to the game, and a guy asked me: «When LNZ played with Karpaty and there was an alert, how is that — they stopped the match?». I was already explaining to him that when there is an alert, you go, wait under the stands. When I say I played one game for 6 hours, Turks just don’t understand!
But our championship was stopped for half a year — and we all want to preserve it, so clubs play, the national team plays. And great respect to the people who continue to invest and do everything for football.
Kristina Pastukhova
