Dynamo defender Tomasz Kędziora shared his thoughts on the home Ukrainian Premier League match against Lviv side Karpaty, in which the White-Blues secured a 1:0 victory.
– It is always difficult to return to club football after an international break, especially when many players leave the team to join their national sides. It takes time to settle back in, as the first matches are not easy. The most important thing for us today was to win, and we achieved that.
– Last season Dynamo lost 0:1 to Karpaty. Ponomarenko’s goal was disallowed on that occasion. Did you have any particular sporting motivation to avenge that defeat?
– Although I wasn’t part of the team at the time, I watched that match, and the lads also told me about it. I remember the incident when the goalkeeper picked up the ball in his hands – that was when the controversial situation arose. Obviously, we want to win every match. Today, our main objective was to keep the three points in Kyiv and move forward.
– In today’s match, Dynamo had more possession and initiative, but Karpaty created more dangerous chances, especially in the first half. What was the reason for that?
– I don’t know; that’s just how the game unfolded. Karpaty are a good team that knows how to play football. I also watched their matches, including the one against Shakhtar. They played well in that game too, so they are genuinely a quality opponent. Obviously, when playing at home, especially in front of our fans, we want to win, do so in style and demonstrate quality football. Today, we simply managed to secure the victory. That is also a positive result that allows us to move forward.
– Did you feel relieved when you scored the winning goal after Karpaty had a player sent off?
– Yes. The most important thing is that Motia (Matvii Ponomarenko – ed.) handled that situation well and scored. As I said, this game is now behind us. We won, and we are preparing for the next match.
– Recently, fans have criticised Dynamo’s performances, even despite the winning results. In your opinion, what is the main problem?
– It’s true that we have been winning our recent matches, but obviously, we want to play more attractively and score more goals. Our task now is to move forward step by step, from one match to the next, and win every game. I think our style of play will improve over time as well.
– You recently returned to Dynamo, but perhaps you didn’t fully realise what the security situation in Kyiv was like. Do you regret your decision now? Have you ever felt like changing your mind?
– If I wanted to leave, I probably would have done so already. When I was playing for PAOK, I came to Kyiv on holiday with my wife and son several times. So I knew what the situation was like here and understood what I was agreeing to. I knew roughly what to expect.
