The head coach of Dynamo Kyiv Oleksandr Shovkovskyi spoke to the media ahead of the UEFA Conference League main round match against Turkish side Samsunspor.
– Many players won’t be able to help the team tomorrow – names like Shaparenko, Tymchyk, Yarmolenko, Bilovar, Torres and Dubinchak have been mentioned. Has this list grown in recent days?
– Good evening. I want to start by saying that tonight was a difficult one for all of Ukraine. Once again the terrorist state is striking our cities. Two people were killed, more than thirty were injured. The situation with the country’s energy infrastructure is also very serious. I think everyone who sympathizes with us and follows what’s happening in Ukraine understands that the situation is extremely tense and difficult. Our condolences go out to the victims and the families affected by this aggression, both in general and by last night’s attacks. I’m speaking, in particular, about Kyiv.
As for the match – unfortunately our infirmary is full. All the players you mentioned will not be able to help us. Also we sent Zakharchenko and Ponomarenko to the U19 team so that they could get some playing practice in today’s UEFA Youth League match. By the way, they won 1:0.
– What strong qualities of Samsunspor would you highlight? Which of their players should be watched most closely?
– If we talk about our opponent, this is a team that had a fantastic season in the Turkish league last year. Thanks to a strong finish they took third place. They play aggressive, high-quality football, building their attacks through quick players. They also did a good job during the transfer window, signing several skilled players, and they continue to perform well in the league.
First and foremost, when we talk about this team, we must understand that they have strong players in every position, in every line. From any of them we can expect confident and bright actions. Football, of course, is not a game of one or two players – it’s a team game. But individual skill can often decide a lot.
– Vitaliy Buyalskyi wasn’t in the starting lineup for four matches in a row but in the last two games he started. Has he regained the coach’s trust?
– The head coach decides who plays and who doesn’t.
– Samsunspor is a very aggressive team. What do you expect from tomorrow’s game?
– It’s always difficult to play in Turkey. We know how much people here love football – it’s almost a religion. We’ve faced Turkish teams many times and understand the style they play. Last year in the Europa League we played against Galatasaray. I think the overall picture of the game will not differ much from what it was then. We’re preparing our team for that same level of fan support and that same on-field aggression from the opponents.
