Still it’s doubtful that any club has such loyal fan as Olexiy Mochanov. We met him at Dynamo Stadium named after Valeriy Lobanovskyi, where everybody knows and loves him. Our conversation lasted more than an hour. By the way, despite chilly weather, we recorded interview at the grandstand.
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“I’ll never support Shakhtar!”
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- Olexiy, what is your second favourite team after Dynamo?
- I thing everyone must support one club and one national team. I don’t accept other variants at all. Sometimes they say that one should support all Ukrainian teams in euro cups, but I’ll never support FC Shakhtar Donetsk even though my friends Andriy Piatov and Viacheslav Shevchuk feature for this club. Just try to imagine Milan fan, who supports Inter or Liverpool fan, who supports Manchester United or Chelsea. That’s impossible.
For me football isn’t war. It’s a king of sport in which you support your team, but without any aggression. I care only about FC Dynamo Kyiv and Ukraine national team. As for other clubs – I’m not interested in results they demonstrate. Even when Barcelona face Real Madrid for me it’s just a possibility to watch great football, but it doesn’t matter to me who wins!
- How did your love to Dynamo arise? When did you watch the White-Blues first match?
- I came to the stadium for the first time with my father on July 6 1976. FC Dynamo Kyiv opposed FC Klylia Sovetov. Our team lost the game 1:4. The major part of Dynamo first team regulars were at the Olympic Games or European contest. Volodymyr Muntian scored Kyivans’ only goal.
- What match is the most memorable for you?
- The most outstanding match I watched took place on December 7 1986. FC Dynamo Kyiv faced FC Dinamo Moscow. Draw was enough for Russian side to win the Soviet Top League, but our team defeated them 2:1 and got the trophy for the 12th time in history!
More that hundred thousand supporters came to the stadium even though it was winter. I’ll never forget the team that won the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1986.
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“Germany national team is formed in such a way that the whole country supports it”
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- What are your impressions of the last World Cup?
- Usually I support Germany. This team is formed in such a way that the whole country supports it. They have performers with German heritage, such as Müller, Lahm, Neuer, Turkish origins – Özil, Arab – Khedira, Polish – Podolski, Klose.
I like to watch football, when players don’t fall down all the time begging for free kicks. I like football of real men, who don’t kick opponents sneakily.
I followed the World Cup with pleasure. It’s a possibility to spend time with friends, but still that can’t be compared with emotions I experienced when Ukraine took part in the Mundial. That penalty shootout… I communicated with Olexandr Shovkovskyi throughout the whole 2006 contest. I can say that this person has taught me a lot.
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“The part of Stolychne highway must be named after Valeriy Lobanovskyi”
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- You were going hand-in-hand with football when a kid. Did you want to become a professional player?
- When I was a kid Anatoliy Byshovets lived in our neighborhood. Oleh Blokhin studied at the secondary school #144 not far from my house.
I still insist that part of Stolychne highway from Dynamo training complex to Paton bridge must be named after Valeriy Lobanovskyi. It was an honour for every kid to come to his house and just look at it.
When I came to DynamoAcademy I trained under the charge of Volodymyr Onyshchenko. We had a good group.
- Who was your idol when you were a small boy?
- I was fond of Rudakov. When I went in for football I wanted to be a goalkeeper as for me he was a symbol of reliability.
- Still football has remained a part of your life even though you haven’t become a professional…
- I have friends among journalists. Sometimes they gave me accreditation cards and we watched this or that game from behind the goal. I remember the match against Real Madrid. I followed Roberto Carlos attentively. His feet are actually larger than head.
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“Olexandr Shovkovskyi has the best motor transport in Dynamo”
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- One can always see a lot or expensive cars at Dynamo training complex. What do you think about that?
- Speaking about Dynamo current squad, I think Olexandr Shovkovskyi has the best motor transport – Harley Davidson.
Serhiy Rebrov’s Aston Martin is a good car. Shovkovskyi also has Jaguar. Shevchenko had Porsche Panamera. I was irritated when I saw Bertoglio driving BMW X6 after several days he spent in the team. Did he really deserve that car?! Maxym Koval has upset me a bit. I think goalkeeper should be calm as Shovkovskyi, but he bought Nissan GTR…
- Several years ago you compared Andriy Yarmolenko with Subaru Impreza. What can you say about him now?
- Well he isn’t Rebrov’s Aston Martin yet (smiling). Today he’s a customized Impreza. Anyway Colin McRae became the world champion driving Subaru, so it’s a good comparison.
I’m also sure that we are what we read. SMS, Skype and Viber aren’t enough. I think every player can become better than he is if he focuses on self-education. I can say that Shevchenko and Rebrov are well educated. People achieve success when they have dignity, conscience and intellect. Stupid person won’t survive in this world.
Ihor Bondarenko
* photos by V. Rasner
Copyright © 2014 FC Dynamo Kyiv
