At first Dragović showed them Maidan Nezalezhnosti and Instytutska street. “I feel anxious at this place. Hundreds of people were killed here”, - stated 23-year-old player. At the road-side there are wreaths decorated with Ukrainian flags. Candles burn in front of pictures of the deceased.
Aleksandar Dragović has been featuring for FC Dynamo Kyiv since summer of 2013. Within the following months hundreds of thousands of people remonstrated against then-president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych.
In February mass street protests became more intense and took place not far from Austrian performer’s house. “Was I scared? No, I wasn’t. In February and March situation was critical, but players were protected by the club”.
Kyiv tempering
Dragović left Austria in 2011 and continued his career in Switzerland. He got his first experience as foreign player there, but tempering took place in Kyiv. “I think I’ve grown to maturity here both on the pitch and outside it”.
He spends most of the time in the capital of Ukraine with his driver Oleh. They’ve already made friends: “Oleh doesn’t speak English, but that’s not a problem. We communicate in Ukrainian and Russian. He’s my best foreign language teacher”, - mentioned Dynamo defender.
Suggestive fish
After the walk on Maidan Oleh took Dragović and his compatriots to FC Dynamo Kyiv training complex located outside the city.
Players undergo different procedures there. “We get vitamins, undergo weighing and have blood pressure read here. The latter is necessary to know how long this or that performer slept and whether he drank alcohol”, - shared Aleksandar information with journalists.
Players communicate with each other a lot. “What do they discuss? Ukrainians talk about politics. It’s actually none of my business. It’s not prohibited to comment upon that, but every professional must know what he says”, - stated Dragović.
After training session Oleh took Austrians to the city to have lunch at Aleksandar’s favourite Italian restaurant. Dragović recommended fish and everyone ordered it. According to Austrian journalists their compatriot is doing well in Kyiv, but they also think that there’s delicious fish in Turin or London too…
* pictures by www.kurrier.at
* translation from German by Oleh Zadernovskyi
Copyright © 2014 FC Dynamo Kyiv
