Dynamo Kyiv goalkeeper Ruslan Neshcheret shared his emotions after the team’s comeback victory (2:1) over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Ukrainian Cup.
– Dynamo beat Shakhtar for the first time in four years. What emotions are you feeling?
– All positive ones. Not only is it Dynamo’s first win over Shakhtar in a long time - it’s also my first victory in the “Klassychne”. So the emotions are only good ones. It was quite painful losing to them in the Ukrainian Cup final before - in a match we should never have let slip. So I really wanted some payback for that. I think our fans enjoyed the result today.
– You conceded first but managed to come back and win. What were you feeling during those goals?
– Honestly we conceded a pretty random goal. But we endured the first half. That’s football - sometimes one team dominates a bit more and you just need to suffer through it. Then, when your opponent’s energy drops, you can hit back. That’s what happened today.
– There aren’t many Premier League clubs left in this year’s Ukrainian Cup. What do you think of the current tournament format?
– I actually like it - it’s a fun format. We, as a top-flight team, can go play in a small town and it becomes a real celebration there. But the draw paired us with Shakhtar which I honestly didn’t expect. Anything can happen in this Cup.
– Is a “blind draw” more interesting or should strong teams only meet at later stages?
– I remember we were on the team bus coming back from a match and suddenly everyone started talking: “We got Shakhtar!” At first, I didn’t believe it - I thought, “How can we be playing Shakhtar already in the round of 16?” But it turned out to be true. In any case it was exciting to face them today.
– There’s another “Klassychne” coming soon - this Sunday in the league. The last time Dynamo and Shakhtar met twice in one week was back in 2009, in the UEFA Cup. Does that add extra motivation in training?
– To be honest you don’t even need extra motivation for this. When you know you’re going to play against Shakhtar, that’s already a huge incentive in itself. You always want to face them, to fight for a positive result.
– Recently more fans have been coming to the stadium for Dynamo’s matches. After the final whistle footballers went over to thank the supporters. How much did their presence inspire you?
– When you see so many of our fans in the stands, it gives you both motivation and responsibility. It was amazing to feel their energy - how they supported us and pushed us forward. This victory belongs to them too.
