Dynamo midfielder Vladyslav Kabaiev commented on the 2:0 victory over Noah in the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage.
- Congratulations on the win. From a tournament perspective the match no longer decided anything but Ihor Kostiuk said it was important to preserve the club’s reputation. How much does this victory boost confidence and mood ahead of the break?
- Every win brings both confidence and a good mood. No matter who we play against we must understand that Dynamo is a brand of Ukrainian football. Especially now when there is a war in the country - people watch us regardless of the tournament situation. That’s why we have to win and show quality football.
In recent months we had a negative experience. There was a lot of criticism - and it was justified because there were no results either in the league or in European competitions. Everyone knew the vacation was coming but nobody arrived here with a “packed bags” mentality. Everyone gave their all. We had conversations with the coaching staff and the management - they believed in us and motivated us to win. We wanted to finish the year positively - and we succeeded.
- Looking at the standings everything was very tight - the team missed out on the playoffs by just one point. Doesn’t it feel like qualification was very close?
- Now we can talk about many things but as they say there’s no point in waving your fists after the fight is over. Yes, we were close but in my opinion we switched on a bit too late. This happens both in Ukraine and in European competitions.
Playing on two fronts is very difficult but at the same time it’s also exciting. We really wanted a European spring. I don’t want to say big words about next year right now - let’s live to see it first. Of course qualification was somewhere very close but I feel we’re improving - the quality of our play is different now and coach’s demands are higher. Training camps in Turkey are ahead so there’s a lot of work to do. We’ll get to know coach’s requirements even better. I think everything will be fine for us in the future.
- Today you scored, as did Ponomarenko. Overall, since Kostiuk’s arrival, many young players have been involved. How effective is this combination of experience and youth?
- Ihor Volodymyrovych has worked a lot with young players and knows their capabilities well. Osypenko, who didn’t play today, Zakharchenko, who is showing himself well, Redushko - they are the future of Dynamo. You can see that they’re not afraid to play at this level. Take Ponomarenko - three matches, three goals for the senior team. That says a lot at this level. I can only wish them good luck going forward.
I can’t say that I’m old but for us, more experienced players, this is also a plus - you can’t relax because you’re constantly being pushed. This is Dynamo Kyiv and here it’s not like you can sit for 2–3 years waiting for your chance. The one who is stronger will play - regardless of whether he’s 18 years old or 30.
For me there are many new things in terms of coach’s demands while young players have worked with him for a long time. And if Ihor Volodymyrovych involves them it means they deserve it.
- The last match of the calendar year has been played and now comes the vacation. Were you really looking forward to it?
- I think if you ask anyone now whether they were waiting for the vacation the answer would be obvious. We’re constantly on the road, there are many matches and you don’t see your children and family much. Now there’s an opportunity to rest for 2–3 weeks and be without a ball. I see guys and the coaching staff more often than my own children (smiles). So now there’s time to enjoy that.
I haven’t thought yet about where we’ll go on vacation. Maybe Bukovel since there’s a great atmosphere for kids. Otherwise I plan to go to Odesa to see my parents - I haven’t seen them for a long time. And then we’ll see how the situation with electricity is - maybe I’ll return to Kyiv as well.
