Dynamo Kyiv goalkeeper Olexandr Shovkovskyi has been with the club since he was eight, featuring in the side that reached the 1998/99 UEFA Champions League semi-finals. With the Ukrainian title holders back in the knockout stage for the first time since 1999/2000, the 41-year-old discussed with UEFA.com his long relationship with the competition and how Dynamo can make it past ManchesterCity.
«Unquestionably the pace of the game has increased since I first played in the UEFA Champions League in 1994. The goalkeeper's role has changed a lot. Now the keeper is one of 11 players who help in both defense and attack. Nothing stands still. Tactical emphases, formations, interplay between the lines, players operating in between the lines – all that has developed and got better, thanks largely to competitions like the Champions League and Europa League.
«Some matches stand out. One of our best performances was in the 1998/99 Champions League when we reached the semi-finals, beating Real Madrid [in the quarter-finals]. That was a team where everybody complemented one another and where personal ambitions came second. We understood exactly what we were aiming for and we knew how to go about our work. There was a great understanding between the players, almost intuitive.
«I don't like players talking about coaches, but I can talk about Serhiy Rebrov, who I played with for a very long time. He was always a tenacious, relentless forward who wasn't very pleasant for opponents to deal with. When he senses a weakness in his opponent or marker, he will just tear them apart. That winning character still helps him.
«Before the start of this season's group stage, someone said to me: 'You've got such a tough group – Chelsea are champions of England, Porto are Champions League regulars.' I replied then that our main opponents were ourselves, because I saw the potential in the team. There was a period when we couldn't get through the Champions League group stage, but now we've got a team capable of surprising a lot of people.
«Everyone knows their role on the pitch. A team can be well prepared but still struggle to solve problems on the pitch, but we have our blueprint for the game and all of that was introduced by Serhiy Rebrov. Every player goes out knowing exactly what is required of them, how they should play and what they should do in every situation.
«In the round of 16 we are up against a strong side in ManchesterCity – a team of world stars. But they have their own difficulties and problems, and they have their own approach to the game. The coaching staff will give us a detailed analysis of their game and will tell us what we need to do to play well. The rest is down to each of us and how well we put that into practice on the pitch. My feeling is that we can stand up to City and advance further».
Oldest players in UEFA Champions League history
Marco Ballotta (Lazio) – 43 years, 253 days
Mark Schwarzer (Chelsea) – 41 years, 206 days
Olexandr Shovkovskyi (Dynamo Kyiv) – 40 years, 341 days
Oldest outfield player in UEFA Champions League history
Alessandro Costacurta (AC Milan) – 40 years, 213 days
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