Dynamo's head coach Oleksandr Shovkovskyi spoke to the media ahead of the 4th matchday of the UEFA Europa Conference League main stage against Cypriot side Omonia.
– Tell us about the team’s condition. Who won’t be able to take part in the match?
– To the players already in the medical room – Yarmolenko, Shaparenko and Bilovar – Brazhko has now been added after the match against Kolos. He underwent a medical examination which showed he has a rib fracture. So in the near future we won’t be able to count on him either.
– Amid the recent negative results did you have a conversation with the club president? Do you feel a vote of confidence from the management ahead of the match against Omonia?
– You know, of course, results are disappointing for all of us including the team. There is constant dialogue with the president; we talk regularly about different topics – both regarding results and the team’s performance. It’s important to have continuous support from the club’s leadership but naturally we must understand that we need to improve both individual actions and the team’s play overall and avoid the mistakes we’ve been making – in game organization as well as on an individual level.
It’s always pleasant when results are positive but sometimes things turn out differently. And in such moments it’s important that the entire team stays united, focused on improvement. We must bravely get through this difficult period which every player and every team experiences at some point. But we have many players with great experience, with the ability to play football, with a hunger for victories, a desire to do everything possible to achieve positive results and, most importantly, to work for that – both individually and by helping each other. It is exactly in moments like these that you see how ready the team is, whether it has character and whether it has the desire to change the situation.
I believe players are ready, they understand everything and they are prepared to show their best qualities and character. And it’s very important to be confident in what they do and in the belief that we will definitely overcome this difficult path.
– What would you like to say to fans because of these negative results?
– I’ve already heard this question. What I can say is that your support is very important for the team right now.
– Recently Omonia have also had a poor run of results and they haven’t won in the Conference League yet. Today, however, Henning Berg said that the team deserved better results in some of the matches where they failed to take maximum points. How would you assess the level of this team compared to Pafos with whom they are currently battling for first place?
– Speaking about our opponent, this is one of the biggest clubs in Cyprus, you might say. In recent years they have consistently played in international competitions – the Europa League, the Conference League. Their coach has returned, the one under whom the club had some of its most successful years when they won the league and the cup and played quite well. They’ve drawn two games 1:1 and lost one 1:0. In their last league match they lost the top spot and dropped to second place.
We’ve watched many matches and a lot of video on how the team works and we’ve prepared for this game. I want to say that we too are unhappy with our results and believe things could have gone differently under certain circumstances. We fully understand that this will be a very important match not only for Omonia but for us as well. I am confident that eleven players who step onto the pitch tomorrow will play with a desire to show their best qualities, to play with heart and soul and to do everything possible to win.
– Do you expect an open game?
– First and foremost I expect persistence and determination from my players – to play with heart, with intelligence, with confident aggression on one hand and with composure on the other. I think our opponent will approach the match with the same mindset.
In closing, I wish everyone a peaceful and quiet evening. As you know, two nights ago was a very difficult night for Kyiv and for the entire country. On behalf of myself and the team, I want to express support for everyone and wish that your sky always remains peaceful and calm — and that this war in our country ends as soon as possible. With our Victory, of course.
