Vladimir Brazhko is the captain of the Ukrainian youth team and the main footballer of Dynamo Kyiv. He made his debut for the youth team at the age of 18, still in the qualification for Euro 2021. “Community Sports“talked with the player about the renewal of the youth team, his status as the main player in Dynamo and his dream of playing at the Olympic Games.
Vladimir Brazhko. Photo: fcdynamo.com
— You played in Ruslan Rotan’s youth team, now with Unai Melgosa. What has changed with the new coach? How do the approaches differ?
— The style of play has changed. With Unai we need to play faster, more forward. It wasn’t like that with Rotan – more control, possession, calmer football. Now we play fast football, more attack-oriented.
— In the match with Luxembourg, in your opinion, what percentage did you manage to accomplish what the coaching staff required of you?
— I think we played the opening sixty minutes very well. Then thirty is already so-so. If we had missed, it would have been very difficult to play. But sixty minutes can be counted as an asset.
— How did the team perceive the change of coaching staff? And what were your first impressions of Unai Melgosa?
— They took it normally, because in football players and coaches always change. This is fine. First meeting [с Унаи Мельгосой] happened here in Slovakia, we talked for about 30 minutes. He told us what he would demand from us, what he wanted to see on the field. We realized this and are now trying to improve with every game.
– What is Unai Melgos like in the training process: can he “push” somewhere, shout? Or is this not the case?
— I think that Unai knows when to “push”, when to suggest – it’s just that everyone needs a different approach. Perhaps someone takes this criticism badly and then relaxes on the field and cannot pull himself together. I think the coach knows more for me.
— Bogdan Vyunnik said after the match with Luxembourg that communication during training takes place in English, and that he helps the guys a little with translation. Have you started learning English more now?
– Yes, I was interested in this too. I understand quite well [английский], but I can’t speak very well. But I saw that I was improving my understanding of the English language, and this gave me [уверенности].
— Did he have any Spanish words that you already use somewhere?
– I only know one word – finite.
— After the arrival of Sergei Rebrov and the appointment of Unai Melgosa to the position of head coach of the youth team, they said that a “vertical of teams” would be formed. You watched the match between Ukraine and North Macedonia yesterday. Do you see that the game of Taras Stepanenko in the national team and the game that Melgosa puts on you are about the same thing?
— I watched Stepanenko in this match, I noticed a lot of what was required of me. Moving, opening. When there is pressure and you need to move towards the ball, I see that Stepanenko does this too. And so I do. Then Ukraine rebuilt 4-4-2 and I noticed that perhaps if we change something, then how we should play.
It’s very good that we have one system and you can watch football and immediately analyze the match.
— When you watched the match against North Macedonia, did you realize that you can also play for the national team?
“I didn’t think about it, it was the coach’s decision.” I won’t say I’m ready or not ready. Whether I want it or not, it’s the coach’s decision.
“The Ukrainian anthem almost always gives me goosebumps”
— Which of the guys who are now in the youth team played together with before? Perhaps with someone from childhood?
– From this team – with no one. We played with Skork together from U14-U15. But in the previous youth team, Drambaev and I played from the age of 7-8 in Zaporozhye.
— What are the nicknames of your youth team partners? Which ones do you use during training and matches?
– Batagov – Bat, I – Braga, Skorko – Skorik, Valik Rubchinsky – Val. I call Nazar Voloshin Peps. Ruslan Neshcheret – Mus. I don’t know why this is, but when I came to Dynamo, they called him that.
— Who in the youth team is the fastest, the most technical and the quickest decision-maker?
– The fastest? I think Voloshin. Most technical? Roller Rubchinsky. The fastest to make decisions? Fesyun (laughs). Who has the best shot? Don’t know.
— Who in the “youth team” charges with the atmosphere?
-Skorko, Ryabchinsky, Batagov, me, Fesyun.
— Who is the DJ?
— Vyunnik.
– What are you listening to?
— When there are still 40 minutes left before going out to warm up, he turns on English music, and then Ukrainian music before going out. I don’t remember what songs there were.
— What, as a football player, gives you goosebumps?
— It happens from the anthem of Ukraine. Almost always. We in the national team try to sing very loudly, and I hear everyone singing, and it also charges me.
— In the youth team you play under number 17. Now Yaremchuk has this number at Valencia, and Zinchenko at Arsenal. Why exactly 17?
— As soon as I moved to Dynamo, I played under number 17 and I liked it. And from childhood I followed [Кевином] I’m still following De Bruyne, I’m very impressed with this player. He played under number 17. I even got myself a tattoo – number 17 is on my back. And somehow it went, went, went. I played and played and played under this number.
And when I moved to Zarya, I couldn’t take it – because I had 17 [Дениса] Suppurative. Now I returned to Dynamo, so I took the 17th [Богдан] Lednev. I think I’ll take 6, depending on the position.
— They mentioned De Bruyne, but earlier in the game they said that you should follow Casemiro and Busquets more?
– Yes. I also really like Rodri. And De Bruyne – he is more of an attacking player, I am more of a defensive player. That’s why I only watch his programs. In terms of position, I look more at Casemiro, Rodri, Busquets.
— As for the clubs, who do you support?
— I’ve been following Manchester City since I got there. [Пеп] Guardiola has moved on. I really like the style of the team, very strong players. In general, the championship is very strong.
— But last year there was the World Cup in Qatar, which team did you support, who did you follow?
– For Belgium. Because that’s where Brain is. I wasn’t sick, but I was watching. No one else.
— Who did you support in the final: Argentina or France?
— I was rooting for France. I didn’t want Messi to win. I would like Ronaldo to win then, so that they would go evenly.
— In the youth team we played together with [Георгием] Sudakov and [Артемом] Bondarenko. In “Zarya” – together with [Евгением] Shakhov and [Сергеем] Buletsoy. Dynamo has not yet been able to fully play with [Николаем] Shaparenko, because he has not recovered from the injury yet. From whom did you gain the most experience?
— From everyone I picked up something, some qualities, from everyone I took something. I watched everyone. I watch the players a lot. And not only on the field, but also off it.
He gave me a lot of Shahs, he is a very experienced player and communicated with me a lot. And he told me about Italy, how they treat them there, and how to play in Europe in general.
— What about Sudakov and Bondarenko, your path to Euro 2023?
“They are very good players, very calm on the ball. They know what to do on the field. You could say that I was the third one in them, cleaning up the back. I gave the ball back and they knew what to do with it next.
— Thanks to reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2023, Ukraine qualified for the Olympics in football for the first time in history. How is this perceived? Have you watched the Olympic Games before?
— I watched it as a child [Олимпийские игры], but not football, because Ukraine did not play. I watched it with my grandfather as a child, I watched it a lot. Not only the Olympics, we watched a lot of biathlon in the winter, we watched basketball, and handball. We have “Motor” in Zaporozhye, my grandfather still goes to their matches when they play. He and I talk a lot about sports.
Of course, this is some kind of dream [сыграть на Олимпиаде]I want to go there… But I already said that the decision will not be ours.
— Semi-final Euro or Olympics?
— Perhaps the Euro is better, but the Olympic Games are also a very strong tournament, I think.
“At first I was upset that I didn’t move to Torino, but then they sold Sidorchuk and I realized that they were counting on me.”
—Over the past month, you have managed to become a major player in “Dynamo”, score several goals. Do scored goals help relieve pressure and responsibility for playing at Dynamo?
— Yes, goals and assists help with adaptation and confidence. With each match I become calmer, because the first matches were nervous. I was expected to score goals and provide assists there. It didn’t work out against Vorskla, but we won, I was happy. There is room to grow in all qualities.
— How do the functions in Dynamo and the national team differ?
— The style of play is different. At Dynamo I need to play more attacking, the development of the attack depends more on me. In the youth team, development also depends, but there are two more inside players ahead, who are more focused on attack, while I work more on defense.
— At the start of the season, Dynamo concedes a lot, and the team is criticized for its defensive play. In your opinion, what is the reason for this?
— Lack of concentration, apparently. It’s not about the players. There is simply a lack of concentration in certain moments. That’s when we won 2:1 in the last match with Polesie, the opponent earned a red card and that’s it. We thought that everything was in our hands, but it turned out that we lost.
— A certain relaxation after you get ahead in the score, is this also a problem?
– Yes, it’s there somewhere too. Maybe this is the problem.
— Interest from Torino, which was in the summer. How ready were you to go?
– It was nice. The first team that was interested in me and made an offer. Of course, I believed that I could go, but it was the president’s decision [не продавать]. At first I was upset, but then they sold Sergei Sidorchuk, I realized that they were counting on me [в «Динамо»] and you have to prove it, show it to Dynamo for a season or two and then go if the clubs agree.
— What foreign championship do you like?
— I like Italy, England very much, the Bundesliga. All from the top five(laughs).
Evgeny KARANOV, Sergey ZAKHARCHENKO
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2023-10-17 08:51:00
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