Ex-midfielder of the national team of Ukraine – about the future rival of Shakhtar
On the eve of the matches of the 1/8 finals of the Europa League between Shakhtar Donetsk and Feyenoord from Rotterdam, the best interlocutor in Dutch football, of course, will be the ex-footballer of the national team of Ukraine Evgeny Levchenko. Eugene moved to the Netherlands at the age of 18, where he played for different clubs for 14 years. After the end of his professional career, his knowledge and experience came in handy in local football. Now Evgeny Levchenko is the chairman of the Dutch footballers’ union, lives with his family in Amsterdam and knows the local football very well from the inside.
— AtOn March 9, Shakhtar Donetsk will host Feyenoord from Rotterdam in Warsaw in the Europa League. What is the club that currently leads the Eredivisie?
– All football people know that Feyenoord has historically been in the top 3 best clubs in the Dutch championship. Along with Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, the team from Rotterdam is a trendsetter in local football. As for today, I believe that Feyenoord is developing correctly as a club. Two years ago, the club’s leaders invited local specialist Arne Slot, who successfully coached AZ (Alkmaar), to the post of head coach. It was this 44-year-old specialist who created the current team, which is the leader in the Eredivisie.
If we take a closer look at the Feyenoord squad, we will not see very famous players there. From, let’s say, no-names, he created a decent team. In the fall, Feyenoord won their Europa League group, where they played, for example, the Italian Lazio. On March 1, the team from Rotterdam beat Heerenveen away in the Dutch Cup, where it made it to the semi-finals. The team has an impressive unbeaten streak.
– What scheme does Feyenoord play and who are the leaders of the team?
– The coaching staff led by Arne Slot prefers to use the 4-2-3-1 formation. This is a very balanced team.
Interestingly, Feyenoord does not score very much, which is unusual for local leaders. In defense, the clear leader is Gernot Trauner. He is 30 years old, he is an Austrian. Fans call him General. Trauner is not the fastest football player, but he is very skillful in positioning on the football field. In midfield, the team captain, Orkun Kekcu, stands out. The Turkish midfielder is only 22 years old. Playing as a central midfielder, he is the link between defense and attack.
In attack, I really like the actions of the Mexican striker Santiago Jimenez. He is only 21 years old, and this is already an established master who often decides the outcome of a particular duel. So in the cup game with Heerenveen everything was decided by his accurate blow at the end of the match. And yet, in my opinion, the actions of the defenders of Feyenoord are not always reliable, there are problems in the defense. Throws behind the backs of the defenders, not very correct actions of the players between the lines, do not make the game in the defense of the team from Rotterdam exemplary.
– What is your opinion about the team’s head coach Arne Slot?
— This is a fairly young, progressive specialist. I have known him personally for many years. We used to take coaching courses together. The slot prefers collective football. This is how AZ acted when he worked there, and this is how Feyenoord is acting now.
Almost all football experts in the Netherlands say that Slot wants his team to be able to play total football. He squeezes absolutely everything out of his wards, literally the maximum. It’s not for nothing that Shakhtar’s future rival in the Europa League takes first place in their championship.
– By the way, there is an opinion that only because of the decline of Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord is in the first place. Do you share this point of view?
— This is a very interesting question. In the Netherlands, discussions on this subject have been going on for a long time, experts speak. Of course, the start of Ajax in the current championship was very unsuccessful, the team lost a lot of points. Only a month ago, Ajax was led by his pupil John Heitinga and he immediately rushed in pursuit of Feyenoord. As long as he succeeds. Plus, Ajax, as always, profitably sold players to the best teams in Europe. In the summer, Lisandro Martinez and Antoni moved to Manchester United.
Another giant, PSV Eindhoven, is not playing the way everyone expects from him. This is how it happened that Feyenoord plays smoothly, without failures, and therefore leads the national championship. 11 rounds before the end of the season, the team from Rotterdam is ahead of Ajax by 3 points, AZ by 5 points, and PSV Eindhoven by 6 points. So, nothing is clear here yet. One or two defeats and the gap will melt.
– Shakhtar and Feyenoord will play on March 9 and 16, and already on March 19, Ajax will host Feyenoord in the Dutch Championship. What is more important for Arne Slot’s wards – European competitions now or the championship and the opportunity to play in the Champions League group in the fall?
– Both. The Europa League is a very important tournament. A year ago, Feyenoord played in the Conference League final against Roma. And for the championship, Feyenoord fans will carry their players in their arms. Everyone in Rotterdam wants to break Ajax’s hegemony.
Plus, the first place will bring big money, and not only from UEFA. Big money is spinning in Rotterdam, there are well-known companies. They don’t always want to invest in a football team, but a possible championship will change everything. Yes, and in recent years there has been a lot of talk about the fact that instead of the old De Kuyp stadium they want to build an ultra-modern arena. For the development of the club and the construction of the stadium, Feyenoord really needs money from the Champions League.
– Do they want to build a new stadium on the site of the legendary Tub, as the fans call De Kuyp?
– This is still unknown. The project has been redesigned several times in recent years. Adjustments are made all the time, the arena should be multifunctional. Another thing I want to note is that every year we choose the best football turf at football stadiums with our footballers’ union. And in the previous 10 years, the emerald lawn at the De Kuip stadium was chosen as the best football field. The football field is simply of perfect quality and it will be a pleasure for Shakhtar players to play on it.
– Feyenoord and the fans are considered among the best in the country …
– Yes, although it is visually difficult to say that they are more powerful than those of Ajax, but they are very loyal. The team from Rotterdam has crazy support not only at home games, but also at away matches.
Feyenoord fans are very brutal, they use a lot of pyrotechnics. They will follow their pets anywhere. I know that there will be many of them in Warsaw, at the first match. The fan movement is very developed in the Netherlands.
– Will you attend the return game?
– Certainly. On March 16, I will support Donetsk Shakhtar from the stands of the De Kuyp stadium.
– Who, in your opinion, is the favorite of the confrontation between Shakhtar and Feyenoord?
– If the Brazilians were the backbone of Shakhtar, as it was before, then the Pitmen would be the favorite. This is not detracting from the merits of Ukrainian football players. Now, I believe, the chances are equal – 50 to 50%. I think Shakhtar got lucky with the recent draw. Just recently, I spoke with Feyenoord head coach Arne Slot and told him that I would be rooting for Shakhtar. But my son often wears a Feyenoord shirt (laughs).
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.
