Ex-defender of the national team of Ukraine – about the latest high-profile transfers of Ukrainian football
On the last day of the transfer window, two transfers took place, which were somewhat surprising. Ilya Zabarny and Sergey Krivtsov moved to English Bournemouth and American Inter (Miami), respectively. Former defender of the national team of Ukraine Bogdan Shershun assessed the transfers and prospects of Ukrainian players in foreign championships.
– Bogdan, the transfer of Ilya Zabarny to the Premier League surprised many in the football world. And you?
– For Ilya, this is the right decision to move to the best league in the world, – says Bogdan Shershun. Do not forget that we have a war going on in our country. In order for him to progress, he needs to play among the strongest players. In the spring and summer of 2022, there was no football in Ukraine. And in the fall, we saw that the leaders of Dynamo Tsygankov and Zabarny did not show their best football. Plus, Dynamo Kiev received very good money from the sale of Ilya, they write that about 25-27 million euros. Perhaps this is a record for Dynamo, if we talk about finances.
– Doesn’t the level of the Bournemouth club bother you? The penultimate place this season, the most goals conceded, and the club has no special traditions of playing in the Premier League …
– I think that according to the terms of the contract, if Bournemouth takes off from the elite division, then he will be sold to another club. All the nuances, of course, I do not know. As for the current problems of Bournemouth, it is clear that they have a problem with the central defenders. 42 goals conceded after 20 rounds, that’s a lot. The purchase of Zabarny is connected with this.
– Do you think, Zabarny, is the style of play suitable for the English Premier League?
– Yes, Ilya is a physically powerful player. He’s a good header, I think he can play in the Premier League. Plus, he can progress. It will be interesting now to watch the game of Bournemouth.
– There are a lot of our Ukrainian footballers in England now: Mykolenko, Zinchenko, Mudryk, Zabarny, Yarmolyuk. You don’t know who to root for…
I agree, but it’s good. I know Yarmolyuk well from my work in the youth national team of Ukraine. Egor Yarmolyuk is currently playing for Brentford (U-23). I know that he looks good in this team and scores a lot. In our team, he stands out and is the leader of the team. I think that Yegor will soon knock on the main team of Brentford. In his style, he plays in the position of a drawn forward. Individually, he is very strong. For Yarmolyuk, beating one or two opponents is not a problem. And he can give the transfer for a feast for the eyes.
– Bogdan, let’s move on to Dynamo Kyiv. Earlier, Igor Surkis did not really want to sell his leaders, but in January Tsygankov and Zabarny left. What has changed for the president of Dynamo?
— The situation in the country. It is not clear how the championship of Ukraine will continue. Threats of new offensives from the Nazis are constantly heard. All clubs live today. I think if there is a specific proposal, then you need to sell the players. Let the guys play.
— Dynamo will become weaker? Will the capital’s football players be able to compete for the Champions League?
“Of course, it will be harder for them. But Dynamo has Sirota, Popov and Dyachuk were returned from Alexandria. It is clear that they are all inferior to Zabarny in skill, but the three central defenders have every chance to prove themselves. Zabarny also grew gradually. Sirota, Popov and Dyachuk will have chances, we need to progress.
Let’s move on to the next transfer. Sergey Krivtsov moved to MLS. Few people leave Ukraine for the USA to play football. How would you rate this transition?
– I looked at the composition of Inter from Miami, decent players are gathered there. They are trained by Phil Neville, his assistants are also English. Club owner David Beckham. With this, Inter is doing great. Kryvtsov moved to the club from the USA, but this is not the end of his career. Ibrahimovic also played in MLS, but then returned to Europe. Kryvtsov is 31 years old and he can play for a few more years at a good level. Until the age of 35, he can safely play.
— Will Krivtsov like Miami?
— Yes, you will definitely like the city (laughs). I was there and learned a lot. The standard of living there is very high, but everything is very expensive. The kids and his wife will love it there. This was probably one of the most important factors in the transition.
– Of the leaders, only Dnepr-1 did not sell any of the most important players …
– Dovbik and Pikhalyonok are in place and this is very important for the team. I think that Dnipro-1 is now the strongest club in the Ukrainian Premier League in terms of composition. I spoke with Alexander Gritsai, and he says that they will fight for the championship. And they have more points and the offensive line is best equipped. Rubchinsky, Gutsulyak, Pikhalyonok, Dovbik. Plus, they have hired talented midfielder Joan Peglow. He has a good resume. They have few competitors in our championship. And Shakhtar weakened after the sale of Mudrik.
– Why does Tsygankov not yet enter the field as part of Girona, and why was Mudrik immediately thrown into battle in Chelsea, although they started training at about the same time?
– It is evident that Mudrik is individually engaged. And with a personal trainer, and Tsygankov needs more time to get in shape. Plus, injuries bother him. I believe that Tsygankov needs to take an example from Mudrik how to prepare himself. And yet we will watch the matches of Girona with interest. The Spanish championship, it seems to me, is ideal for Viktor Tsygankov.
Source: Sportarena
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
