For many, it went unnoticed that last season Bohdan Popov was included in the first team squad for Empoli’s Serie A match. This season, Popov has already become a star within Empoli’s ranks, even though the team plays in Serie B. The Ukrainian forward has scored 5 goals in 10 matches this season in Italy’s second-tier division. This is a very impressive statistic for an 18-year-old forward.
Bohdan PopovPopov is a native of Nizhyn, in the Chernihiv region. He then ended up in the Dynamo Kyiv system, where his father, Ruslan, also worked. After the war began, he found himself in Poland, playing for Górnik Zabrze. At the start of the season, Bohdan distinguished himself, scoring frequently. Information emerged that German and Italian teams were interested in his services. However, it wasn’t until the end of the season that Popov moved to Empoli. He showed great performance in the club’s primavera team and earned a chance with the first team.
I think that Empoli’s relegation from Serie A benefited the Ukrainian. The club needed to reduce its budget, and some leading players left. Popov got his chance. From the beginning of the season, Bohdan started playing for the first team.
It’s not accurate to say that Popov is a great individualist who can dribble past half of the opponent’s team. Bohdan has a well-developed sense for goal-scoring opportunities. He feels the moment near the opponent’s goal and finds himself in the right place at the right time. He plays well with his head. He is physically well-developed for his age and can play as a power forward.
It’s clear that Empoli is only a temporary solution. If Popov continues to perform like this, he could soon find himself in Serie A. There is already talk about interest from Atalanta and a potential transfer fee of 10 million euros. This is the nature of Italian football, where big clubs sign young talents and then develop them through loans.
I’m not sure that it’s the right time for Popov to change anything. The transfer should be timely. Bohdan is currently playing consistently for his club. Game practice is one of the main factors in a footballer’s development. It’s very important for Empoli to achieve the goal of returning to Serie A this season, as the team is currently mid-table in Serie B.
Popov was involved with the national team formed of players born in 2007, but he was never in the lead roles as the competition in attack was huge — Artem Stepanov and Dmytro Bohdanov. Both have already debuted for Bundesliga clubs — Bayer and Union, respectively. Popov recently came to Ukraine’s U-19 national team, where he scored twice and forced an opponent to score an own goal. A great indicator for a forward. He has also been called up to Ukraine’s youth national team.
Can Bohdan Popov be compared to Andriy Shevchenko? Both are graduates of the Dynamo school. Both play in the attack. Beyond that, there is nothing similar between them. Shevchenko went to Italy as a star for huge money. Popov is building his career in Italy from the bottom up. Their playing styles are different. Let’s see what success Popov can achieve in Italian football.
Serhiy TYSHCHENKO
