High level and standards of the club remain unchanged
Saturday, August 5, 2023
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Shakhtar defender Dmytro Chyhrynskyi talked about his return to the club and his goals for the upcoming season
– Dmytro, congratulations on your return to Shakhtar! This will be your third season at the club. How do you feel returning to the team and to Ukrainian football in general?
– I am overwhelmed with emotions, of course. I have mixed feelings because, on the one hand, this is a return, and I am very happy about that, but on the other hand, I understand that current Shakhtar team are very different from the team I left, so there will be a lot of new things for me. But one thing remains unchanged – a very high level and standards of the club, established over many years. And this is the level that every player wants to reach, maintain and develop. So, for me, no matter how it sounds at my age, this is a big opportunity, great motivation and obligation to benefit Shakhtar. In general, I do not want to devote much time to emotions, but I would like to immediately start working and move forward.
– How did you find out about Shakhtar being interested in you? Whom from the club did you discuss it with and how did you react to the offer?
– After Shakhtar’s game against Metalist 1925, in which, unfortunately, Valerii Bondar was injured, Darijo called me in the evening of the same day, we talked and reached an agreement. Of course, I do not see this situation as being invited as temporary help because of Valerii’s injury. The way I look at it is that I worked long and hard to get this chance even at this age. Therefore, I am happy to be here. As I already said, my task is to help Shakhtar achieve their goals, to be useful. So, I did not really think about it – it was not an invitation, actually, the conversation lasted 20 seconds. He asked: “Well, Chyhi, are you ready?” I replied: “I am ready. When should I leave?” And that is it. I want to thank club president Rinat Akhmetov, Serhii Palkin and, of course, Darijo Srna, as, first of all, it was his initiative and he played a big role in my return, and also Patrick van Leeuwen, because, I am sure, everything was discussed with him, and if he had not given the green light, I would not be here. So, I am grateful to everyone and I have been waiting for an opportunity to join the team and get started.
– You spent the past seven years in the Greek Championship. Have you been following the UPL and what can you say about its current level?
– Yes, I have been following both the league and the teams that played in the European competitions. Of course, football in Ukraine had already been reaching rather high level before the start of the full-scale war. They simply heroically managed to hold the previous championship, thanks to God, thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and our military. I think it was a very important decision. Everyone benefited from this: the national team, the clubs, the players. As for the level, it was obvious that it would drop, because the vast majority of international players left the teams. But if you view it from the other perspective, it gave young Ukrainian players a great opportunity to get their chance in big football, to play leading roles in the teams. It was the first championship of that kind, and it was successful. Now, I think, everything looks much better in terms of the investments into football, teams and organisation. I have the following impression: the level dropped due to the departure of competent international players, but the intensity increased due to the arrival of young players who are fast, physically enduring and ambitious. These players will contribute, and the level of the championship will grow. Plus, the teams start to get stronger by inviting competent Ukrainian players and players from abroad. Everything is moving in the right direction, and I think that Ukrainian football will be at a high level.
– You won the Ukrainian League, the Ukrainian Cup, the Ukrainian Super Cup and the UEFA Cup together with Shakhtar. What motivates you today and what would you like to achieve with the team during this season?
– I think that if a player starts thinking about what he achieved in the past, then he can no longer make progress and move forward. It is impossible to live in the past in football – it is a wrong path. A player is assessed based on his current condition. I continue to play because I love football, I have ambitions and I believe that I have not achieved everything I want yet. I do not understand at all how you can get tired of football. There is no greater motivation than to win, to win your next match. And simply give your best in every subsequent training session. If you motivate yourself and move with this attitude, you can expect good results at the end of each season. I only look to the future, and I have more than enough motivation. As for the goals, everyone knows very well that Shakhtar are obliged to win the title and the Cup every year at the domestic level – this is the number one task. We also have to perform in the Champions League as well as possible. We understand the level of it, so we do not want to make loud statements, but we should go as far as possible in the European competitions. The previous campaign, in my opinion, was good and strong, so this team already have good guidelines in the European arena as well.
– There is a war going on in Ukraine. This is a difficult situation for people and for our football. What would you like to say or wish to Shakhtar fans and all Ukrainians?
– Yes, of course, the situation is very difficult, but football, like any other industry, must recover and operate, because the enemy’s plan is precisely to shatter our morale and destroy us psychologically. So, I think that it is our duty not to stop and constantly move forward. I want to wish all of us, Ukrainians, to stay strong in spirit, to move forward together – to victory. And if football can bring some additional good emotions to people, then this is the main motivation for us, players, and for the teams. I wish everyone mental strength, faith in victory, optimism, love and mutual respect – those fundamental virtues that have always distinguished us, Ukrainians, as a nation and as people. These should be our pillars. And I think that the players, Shakhtar players in particular, also play their role in this.
– I am overwhelmed with emotions, of course. I have mixed feelings because, on the one hand, this is a return, and I am very happy about that, but on the other hand, I understand that current Shakhtar team are very different from the team I left, so there will be a lot of new things for me. But one thing remains unchanged – a very high level and standards of the club, established over many years. And this is the level that every player wants to reach, maintain and develop. So, for me, no matter how it sounds at my age, this is a big opportunity, great motivation and obligation to benefit Shakhtar. In general, I do not want to devote much time to emotions, but I would like to immediately start working and move forward.
– How did you find out about Shakhtar being interested in you? Whom from the club did you discuss it with and how did you react to the offer?
– After Shakhtar’s game against Metalist 1925, in which, unfortunately, Valerii Bondar was injured, Darijo called me in the evening of the same day, we talked and reached an agreement. Of course, I do not see this situation as being invited as temporary help because of Valerii’s injury. The way I look at it is that I worked long and hard to get this chance even at this age. Therefore, I am happy to be here. As I already said, my task is to help Shakhtar achieve their goals, to be useful. So, I did not really think about it – it was not an invitation, actually, the conversation lasted 20 seconds. He asked: “Well, Chyhi, are you ready?” I replied: “I am ready. When should I leave?” And that is it. I want to thank club president Rinat Akhmetov, Serhii Palkin and, of course, Darijo Srna, as, first of all, it was his initiative and he played a big role in my return, and also Patrick van Leeuwen, because, I am sure, everything was discussed with him, and if he had not given the green light, I would not be here. So, I am grateful to everyone and I have been waiting for an opportunity to join the team and get started.
– You spent the past seven years in the Greek Championship. Have you been following the UPL and what can you say about its current level?
– Yes, I have been following both the league and the teams that played in the European competitions. Of course, football in Ukraine had already been reaching rather high level before the start of the full-scale war. They simply heroically managed to hold the previous championship, thanks to God, thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and our military. I think it was a very important decision. Everyone benefited from this: the national team, the clubs, the players. As for the level, it was obvious that it would drop, because the vast majority of international players left the teams. But if you view it from the other perspective, it gave young Ukrainian players a great opportunity to get their chance in big football, to play leading roles in the teams. It was the first championship of that kind, and it was successful. Now, I think, everything looks much better in terms of the investments into football, teams and organisation. I have the following impression: the level dropped due to the departure of competent international players, but the intensity increased due to the arrival of young players who are fast, physically enduring and ambitious. These players will contribute, and the level of the championship will grow. Plus, the teams start to get stronger by inviting competent Ukrainian players and players from abroad. Everything is moving in the right direction, and I think that Ukrainian football will be at a high level.
– You won the Ukrainian League, the Ukrainian Cup, the Ukrainian Super Cup and the UEFA Cup together with Shakhtar. What motivates you today and what would you like to achieve with the team during this season?
– I think that if a player starts thinking about what he achieved in the past, then he can no longer make progress and move forward. It is impossible to live in the past in football – it is a wrong path. A player is assessed based on his current condition. I continue to play because I love football, I have ambitions and I believe that I have not achieved everything I want yet. I do not understand at all how you can get tired of football. There is no greater motivation than to win, to win your next match. And simply give your best in every subsequent training session. If you motivate yourself and move with this attitude, you can expect good results at the end of each season. I only look to the future, and I have more than enough motivation. As for the goals, everyone knows very well that Shakhtar are obliged to win the title and the Cup every year at the domestic level – this is the number one task. We also have to perform in the Champions League as well as possible. We understand the level of it, so we do not want to make loud statements, but we should go as far as possible in the European competitions. The previous campaign, in my opinion, was good and strong, so this team already have good guidelines in the European arena as well.
– There is a war going on in Ukraine. This is a difficult situation for people and for our football. What would you like to say or wish to Shakhtar fans and all Ukrainians?
– Yes, of course, the situation is very difficult, but football, like any other industry, must recover and operate, because the enemy’s plan is precisely to shatter our morale and destroy us psychologically. So, I think that it is our duty not to stop and constantly move forward. I want to wish all of us, Ukrainians, to stay strong in spirit, to move forward together – to victory. And if football can bring some additional good emotions to people, then this is the main motivation for us, players, and for the teams. I wish everyone mental strength, faith in victory, optimism, love and mutual respect – those fundamental virtues that have always distinguished us, Ukrainians, as a nation and as people. These should be our pillars. And I think that the players, Shakhtar players in particular, also play their role in this.