- First of all it’s important that we’ve completed our task and qualified for Europa League next stage. I want to congratulate our supporters and to thank them. I also want to wish them to stay free and confident.
- Three more Ukrainian teams have qualified for the knockout stage. Is it a good result for our football?
- I think so. Of course everyone hoped that FC Shakhtar Donetsk would keep featuring in the Champions League, but they had very good opponents.
- Did you think that problems could occur after the goal Dynamo conceded?
- As you know, this is football and football is unpredictable. Sometimes a game does not unfold as you plan, and you should be ready for that. We were sure that the mistake we made in defense was only that, a mistake, and it wouldn't influence the final result.
- Why did defender perform goal-kicks instead of you?
- My physical conditions are not perfect and I didn’t want to risk.
- Rapid gave up initiative, but opened the score. What was the reason for such start of the game?
- We knew that they attack well and that we had to be concentrated all the time and not let such attacks happen. From that point of view, we didn't play well in the first half because they had their moments, but all's well that ends well. We had our moments too and could have won by a bigger margin. But the most important thing is the result, the win and the Europa League in the spring.
- You had claims to defenders…
- Expressing claims is my duty. I see pitch as no one else can see it. Goalkeeper’s task is to direct outfield players.
- You said that you are tired of talks about Blokhin’s resignation, but there were some before the game. Didn’t you think that failure would have bad consequences?
- We didn’t think about failure, we thought about win.
- Will you go on holidays in good mood?
- It’s always a pleasure to go on holidays (smiling). We have what to think about, some conclusions are to be made.
- Have you already decided where you’ll celebrate the New Year?
- Yes, I have. I’ll celebrate with my family and friends.
