FC Dynamo Kyiv head coach Oleksandr Shovkovskyi answered journalists’ questions after the game against FC Veres Rivne.
- Congrats to all Dynamo fans! I want to thank our Armed Forces, our warriors for the chance to play the Ukrainian Premier League!
We knew Veres would draw certain conclusions from our previous game we had quite recently. We realized it would be a tough match as they would be defending in numbers and looking for a chance in counterattacks. We didn’t do really well in the first half, but things got a bit easier after we scored. Unfortunately, some of our leading players skipped the game due to suspension. Bilovar and Supriaha got sick.
- What kind of virus is that in the team? What are the doctors saying?
- I’m also frustrated about it. Let’s hope things will get fine soon. We follow all medical procedures to maintain the immune system. Unfortunately, that’s not something we can control.
- What do you think of the performance by Ponomarenko?
- I will only say he has certain potential and needs to do his best to be the first team player. He still has a lot to work on in terms of tactical and psychological aspects. U19 team and UPL are different levels, so the mental pressure is intense. He should keep learning.
As Valerii Lobanovskyi used to day, one should add 95 per cent of hard work to 5 per cent of talent. I always tell my players: you shouldn’t focus on what you’ve reached, you should focus on what you did to reach this point. One shouldn’t be obsessed with achievements, goals and titles. One needs to make headway together with the team and set team interests higher than personal ones.
