- Why was Lev Yashyn the only goalkeeper to ever get Ballon d’Or in your opinion?
- The thing is that football gladdens fans with goals, spectacular combinations and that’s why outfield players are in the limelight. As for goalkeepers they are always totally focused on the game. It’s like being a de-miner. If any performer doesn’t manage to trap the ball everyone will forget about that in several seconds, but if keeper lets the ball cross the goal line he’ll hear a lot of “compliments” (smiling). That’s a part of our work. As for your question, usually glory belongs to strikers. Anyway I think this year Manuel Neuer has a chance to get Ballon d’Or.
- Can you name three matches that are most memorable for you?
- There were three games, which are really special for me. One of them involved negative emotions. It took me two years to lift up my head after it. I don’t want to recall it. The second match was the 2005 Ukrainian Cup final. That day I saved penalty and Dynamo defeated Shakhtar 1:0. Of course the third one is the 2006 World Cup fixture against Switzerland. The penalty shootout totally exhausted me emotionally. Five years later I told Oleh Blokhin that I wasn’t ready for the quarterfinal against Italy. Sometimes psychological balance is more important than physical conditions for goalkeeper.
- What was the most significant moment of your life?
- I witnessed the birth of my daughter (applause).
- You used to play alongside Serhiy Rebrov. How did you relations change after he became the head coach?
- This information is confidential (smiling). We’ve really been acquainted for a very long period of time. Serhiy Rebrov watches football not like a player already. Frankly speaking, sometimes I also do. When there’s no one around we can discuss anything with him and argue, but as team captain I can’t discredit the reputation of Serhiy Stanislavovych even if he’s wrong. Very often players have problems because of their ambitions, like Mario Balotelli, for example. Every performer must realize that interests of his team are above all. As for our relations with Rebrov, they can be of two kinds – at work and after it.
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