Dynamo head coach Ihor Kostiuk spoke to the media on the eve of the first leg of the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round against Qarabag.
- We see what is happening in our country, especially what happened last night. It is very painful when terrorists and aggressors destroy our homes and kill civilians. It is psychologically difficult when you cannot be with your loved ones at such moments. Once again, I want to emphasize that this is painful and very hard to cope with.
- Have you studied your upcoming opponent thoroughly enough? Will there be any surprises from Qarabag, and is there a player there who can beat Dynamo single-handedly, as happened in the match against PAOK?
- The comment that we were beaten by one player was sarcastic. We played against a difficult and high-quality team that competes in a strong European league, and we lost because of our own mistakes.
For me, it is important to draw conclusions after the match against PAOK and see how the team reacts to its mistakes and corrects them. It is impossible to avoid mistakes in football, and what matters is how the players react to them and fix them. We will improve from match to match. That is our job. A team's progress is determined by its ability to respond correctly to remarks and not repeat old mistakes. I hope we will react to mistakes more quickly and correct them.
Qarabag are a difficult opponent. Last season they played in the Champions League. At the same time, we rely on our own strengths, we analyse, and we improve. We will do everything we can to advance to the next round.
- There are opinions that it would be better for Dynamo to be eliminated from European competitions in order to focus on domestic tournaments. What is your attitude towards that?
- Of course, it will be difficult, but we prepared for this during the training camp. European matches stimulate the development of both young and experienced players. League matches are important in terms of match practice because we will have two squads and everyone will get a chance to play. There will be competition, and the line-up may change from match to match. This will allow us to remain competitive both in the league and in European competitions.
- What is the current squad situation in the team?
- Oleksandr Tymchyk has joined us. Kostiantyn Vivcharenko is still in the treatment room. Kyrylo Osypenko, Vladyslav Zakharchenko and Denys Popov are currently recovering in Kyiv. Mykola Mykhailenko is not training with the main group either and is also undergoing recovery. All the other players are with the main group and are preparing for the match.
