Before it all started Dynamo presented Polish newcomer – defender Tomasz Kedziora.
- I’m glad to join such team as FC Dynamo Kyiv, – said Tomasz. – It’s a great team and I’m honored to be here. Featuring for Dynamo I’ll try to earn a place in the national team.
- What did you discuss with Lukasz Teodorczyk before you decided to join Dynamo?
- Lukasz has given me good feedback about Dynamo. He’s very upset he hasn’t managed to become the first team regular here.
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After that Olexandr Khatskevych officially presented his assistant coaches – Oleh Luzhnyi, Maksim Shatskikh, Mykhailo Mykhailov and Vitaliy Kulyba.
Olexandr Khatskevych: The start of every season is exciting. We’ve been working for only three weeks, but fans’ expectations are great. Dynamo always aim to win every competition.
Oleh Luzhnyi: I’d like to thank Olexandr Khatskevych for his trust. I’ll try to do my best. I’m responsible mostly for defense. Anyway, it’s always great to return to the native club.
Maksim Shatskikh: I’ll be working mostly with attacking players. I’m sure we’ll have few goalless games. Fans will see aggressive football.
Mykhailo Mykhailov: Every new season and innovations give a feeling of excitement. All our coaches have common philosophy of the game.
Vitaliy Kulyba: I hope we’ve done a good job at the training camp. It’s comfortable to work with such coaches. We all have common goals.
- Hladkyi, Miakushko, Rybalka… What’s going to happen to these players?
O. K.: As for Hladkyi and Miakushko, they’re looking for new teams. We have 20 players who’re getting ready for the game against FC Shakhtar Donetsk. On July 15 Rybalka will play for youth team and then he’ll rejoin us.
- How come Dynamo have many foreign defenders?
O. K.: If we had players that meet all demands of the first team we would have placed our bet on them. Still we have promising youngsters, for example, Tymchyk and Mykhailenko. They need more game practice in Premier League. Every team starts with defense. It’s not our fault we have more foreigners. Anyway, I think we have high profile defenders.
- Mykhailo Leonidovych, do you agree that the biggest uncertainty concerns the position of goalkeeper?
M. M.: We had four goalkeepers at the training camp – Koval, Rudko, Bushchan and Makhankov. We tried to give all of them a chance to play. I can’t say who our #1 keeper is. We’ll decide before every game. I’ve told them they must demonstrate better play than last season.
- Have you defined the main squad? Are you going to enforce certain positions?
O. K.: Starting with July 15 we’ll have two games a week. We can’t have first and second lineup as we must succeed in every game. All players must be fit. The success for us will be qualification for the Champions League group stage.
- Maksim Olexandrovych, you used to help Yuriy Moroz in U-19 team. What can you say about forwards you worked with? Will they join the first team in the nearest future?
M. S.: It’s all in their hands. These youngsters are ready to perform on top level. I think soon some of them will join us.
- So, Oleh Romanovych will be mostly responsible for defense while Maksim Olexandrovych – for attack. Is that correct?
O. L.: We have common responsibility as every coach is responsible for results the team demonstrates.
M.S.: That’s true, Oleh Romanovych will work with defenders while I’ll focus on attack. Still we have a single goal and we have common views. Anyway, the head coach is the one who makes decisions.
- At the training camp you had three young forwards and two experienced. How did youngsters react to your suggestions?
M. S.: Everyone reacted totally normally. That’s the only way it can be. I talked to all of them and tried to explain how I want them to act, how I was taught and how modern forwards must play to score more. They all understand these demands.
- Olexandr Mykolayovych, considering that Dynamo are one of the main donors for the national team, have you already talked to Andriy Shevchenko?
O. K.: I met Andriy the day after the game against Finland. Still we didn’t discuss which players he’s going to call up next season. I guess we’ll talk about that as September approaches. We have friendly relations with Andriy, so we’ll find time for conversation.
- Last season Dynamo had problems with defense. Oleh Romanovych, what’s the main reason for that?
O. L.: Dynamo defensive line didn’t do well last season. It depends upon how every particular player is focused on the game and whether he’s ready to take the field. It’s another question whether this or that player meets demands of the team. I think we should work with defenders individually.
- The previous head coach had problems with Yevhen Khacheridi and his attitude to the game. Have you solved this problem?
O. L.: I’ve talked to him and explained what the current situation is like. Yevhen is a smart person. He’s told me we won’t have problems with him and he’ll be doing his best. I guess he just didn’t find common ground with Serhiy Rebrov.
- A question to Vitaliy Kulyba. Players mention they’ve had intense exercise load at the training camp. Have all of them coped with that?
V. K.: Such exercise load is a new demand. We have different tactics and players must be ready for it. The majority of them were ready for the training camp. Some weren’t so ready, but they did well in Austria.
- In two days Dynamo will play in Odesa, where the weather is really hot. Are players ready for that?
V. K.: Both teams will be on equal footing. I think our players will be okay.
* photos by A. Lukatskyi
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