Dynamo defender Denys Popov shared his emotions after extending his contract with the club for five years and also spoke about how he spent the New Year holidays and what he expects from the upcoming winter training camp.
– What impressions are you experiencing after extending your contract? How do you feel?
– First of all I feel the trust of the club’s management and the team because they made it clear that I’m needed and that I can still be useful to Dynamo. So feelings are positive. There were no long negotiations – we spoke with the president, he offered the terms and I accepted them.
– So you didn’t think long about the offer, everything went quickly and you reached an agreement promptly?
– You could say that. There were different options but none of them were as worthy as the opportunity to stay at Dynamo. First of all I’ve been here for a very long time and I think I’ve made a certain contribution to the team’s victories. That’s why I was glad to hear from the president that they count on me.
– It’s interesting what other career options you were considering?
– They were from other leagues but I think it’s not appropriate to talk about that now. I don’t know what will happen in the future – maybe something will change. But at the moment I’m at Dynamo, I’m with Dynamo and I will continue to try to help and be useful to the team.
– Your contract is for another five years. What goals do you set for yourself during this time, both team and personal?
– Of course at Dynamo there are no other goals except winning every match. We now have a new coach, we’re adapting to each other and trying to help one another. We’ll see what comes of it. I hope it gives a positive impulse. Training camp is ahead, we’ll go through it and then see how everything develops. The mood is positive because we need to improve our position in the league table. We also still have another trophy to win. I’ll repeat myself – Dynamo always has only the highest goals and everyone must understand that.
– Did you have a conversation with Ihor Kostiuk before signing the contract? Maybe you discussed whether he counts on you and whether you feel his trust?
– Yes, of course, we talked. He made it clear that he counts on me and it was very important for me to hear that. Then the president and I settled everything and came to this decision. If it had been otherwise I probably wouldn’t have signed the contract. But as it is I have the strength, I’m full of energy and ready to keep working at maximum.
– Did you feel support from the fans regarding the contract extension?
– I’m always grateful to those fans who sincerely support Dynamo and care with their heart and soul. From my side I can say that the team is changing, getting younger and everyone is working one hundred percent. Thank you for your patience and for the congratulations on the contract extension. And to those who, to put it mildly, are not happy about this extension I wish all the best and good health. May everything be fine for you.
– Tell us how you spent the winter break. What impressions and emotions did you get? Were you able to recover?
– I spent the break well, I was in Kyiv with my family, we celebrated New Year together at home. From the beginning of the year I started training, gradually getting my body back in shape because there won’t be time to ease into it. As always serious work is expected from the first days and we’ll be working. Overall everything is good, everything is fine.
– How do you feel ahead of the training camp? Are you fully ready – physically, mentally, emotionally?
– It’s still difficult to talk about physical condition because the vacation has just ended. Psychologically I feel good, I’ve recharged a bit and spent more time with my family. Soon we won’t see each other for almost a month while we’re at camp so everything is going according to plan: a bit of preparation and then the camp. Health-wise, everything is fine, there are no limitations.
– What do you expect from the camp under the new coach and from working with the new coaching staff?
– As I said this will be the first training camp with this coach. We’ll see what the coach and his staff propose. Training camps are a difficult period, not easy to get through because there will be serious workloads. So we need to be ready both mentally and physically, focused on preparing properly for the second half of the season and being in optimal condition for the matches.
