Specialist on the start of Ukrainian clubs at the group stage of European competitions
Famous Ukrainian coach Vyacheslav Grozny in an exclusive interview with Sport Arena assessed the chances of Ukrainian teams in the new season of European competition.
– Vyacheslav Viktorovich, how would you rate the draw in general?
– In any case, we will see interesting European clubs, we will see confrontations in today’s realities, taking into account all the nuances.
– Specifically, what can you say about the Shakhtar group?
– Looking at the groups of the Champions League, I will say that it is very good that we did not get Bayern and Barcelona from group C. I think that Shakhtar got into a completely normal group. Could be in group H, where Juventus and PSG, or in the quartet E, where Milan and Chelsea. As for his group, Real Madrid is the current winner of the Champions League. By the way, Shakhtar played quite successfully against Madrid and in general it quite often opposes the Creamy (this will be the third season in a row). And with Leipzig and Celtic it is quite possible to fight even for second place.
Someone will say that Grozny is an incorrigible optimist who not only supports all Ukrainian teams and national teams, but also says such things from the realm of fantasy. But sometime, young talented guys need to start showing their level. Moreover, a number of players returned to Shakhtar. This is Petryak and Zubkov. Mikhailichenko came from the Belgian championship, we are waiting for the appearance of the Shved. Traore needs to recover. On top of that, the Pitmen have very high-level goalkeepers in their ranks. Also in Shakhtar’s team are Kryvtsov, Stepanenko, Matvienko and other talented young players.
– But Real Madrid still stands out in this group?
We know Real Madrid very well. Yes, he moved to Manchester United from the Madrid club Casemiro. But I do not think that this loss will be noticeable. Because Tchuameni and other guys will run and gladly take this position and play it with pleasure. I think Real Madrid has become even stronger. This is in my opinion. Madrid actually kept all the leading players. Casemiro himself asked for the transition, they met him halfway and that’s fine!
— What do you think about Leipzig?
– Leipzig plays under the guidance of 36-year-old Domenico Tedesco. By the way, in Germany there is a tendency for young coaches. For example, Naggelsman and Tuchel also started coaching early. This is the right of the Germans, this is their philosophy. But we must not forget that experienced coaches still give odds to young specialists, because no one has canceled wisdom and experience. Although young coaches are good and great! We were all young coaches once.
With Tedesco, Leipzig finished fourth in the Bundesliga that season and the Bulls also won the German Cup by beating Freiburg on penalties. Yes, in the match for the Super Cup, Leipzig lost to Bayern with a score of 3:5, and in the championship they still have one victory.
– In your opinion, what is the secret of Leipzig’s success?
– Everyone knows that Leipzig is a product of the Red Bull system, where, therefore, the most talented players, including young ones, are gathered. In this system, there is an excellent preparation of football players and high-quality sales.
I was not too lazy and looked at what happened in Leipzig this off-season. For 16.7 million euros moved to Wolverhampton striker of the South Korean national team Hwang Hee Chan. Yes! Very interesting transfer! And US national team midfielder Tyler Adams moved to Leeds for 14 million euros, which is coached by American Jesse Marsh and which in 2021 was headed by Leipzig. Marsh has been with Red Bull since 2015, coaching teams in the US, Austria and Germany. That’s what systemic work means! This is an interesting observation.
“They really have a system.
– Yes Yes! Also, 20-year-old Dutch striker Brian Brobbie moved to Ajax for 16 million euros. This is generally very strong! And French defender Nordi Mukiele moved to PSG for 10 million euros. Also, Nigeria striker Ademola Lukman moved to Atalanta for 16 million euros.
And by the way, the Spanish defender Angelino, who I really like, moved to Hoffenheim on an annual loan. I thought Barcelona or Man City would invite him. But why he went to Hoffenheim, I don’t know. I think that there could be problems with the coach. Because, according to available information, Tedesco sometimes emotionally reacts to certain remarks of his charges. And, let’s just say, they might not find a common language. But personally, I really like Angelino.
– A lot of players left Leipzig. But there were also acquisitions. What do you say about them? How have the transfers affected the Bulls’ performance?
Timo Werner returned from Chelsea. Germany midfielder David Raum has joined from Hoffenheim. Also joining the Bulls was Austrian midfielder Xaver Schlager, who played for Wolfsburg. Of course, it takes time to bring all the players to a common gaming philosophy. Therefore, now Leipzig has a lack of game balance.
We see that now the style of play is more attack-oriented. And this is not surprising! They have representatives of the national teams available, namely the German Werner, the Frenchman Nkunku, the Portuguese Andre Silva, the Spaniard Dani Olmo and the very experienced Swede Forsberg. Therefore, it would be strange to play differently. But they have big problems in defense. Leipzig score a lot, but also create a lot of chances at their gate.
– What are the chances for Shakhtar to successfully play against Leipzig and Real Madrid?
— Naturally, the Pitmen will study their opponent very well. I think that the Donetsk team really has a chance. I think that Shakhtar, Leipzig and Celtic have the same chances. But do not deceive yourself – no one will compete with Real Madrid. Madrid are simply stronger. Real can lose if they play the fool or put up a second squad. Although the second part of the Royal Club can win.
What do you think about Celtic?
— The team won all six opening matches of the championship. The head coach is 57-year-old Australian Angelos Postekoglu. There are a lot of foreign players in the team, including Australian national team player Aaron Mui. We know goalie Joe Hart very well. There is also Croatian national team player Josip Juranovic. There is US national team player Cameron Carter-Vickers and experienced representatives of the Scottish national team.
I also noticed an interesting point: there are four very good Japanese players in the attacking group of Celtic. And there is also the Portuguese Jota, the Israeli Abada and the Greek Giakumakis. Celtic won the Scottish Championship last season, four points clear of Rangers. In the new one, he beat the Rangers very confidently.
— Do you think the Pitmen are able to guarantee a European Cup spring?
– Speaking objectively, despite all the skepticism and all the difficulties, I think it makes sense to compete for second and third place. I think there is a chance, because young players will jump above their heads. The mood for matches of the domestic championship and matches of the Champions League are completely different. Understanding all the difficulties, I am optimistic about Shakhtar’s matches in the Champions League.
— Dynamo not managed to break into the Champions League, but will play in the Europa League. What can you say about the people of Kiev?
– Such are the realities today that only Shakhtar represents Ukraine in the Champions League. Well done Dynamo, who went through Sturm and Fenerbahce. But you have to be realistic, it was impossible to pass Benfica. It was already in the realm of fantasy. Lisbon have a really cool team! Last year, Benfica played with Dinamo in the group stage of the Champions League and then the Portuguese left the quartet, beating Barcelona, which turned out to be third. This is so just in case for those who forgot!
Dynamo players are away from home for several months. They were in a psychologically stressful situation. We do not know how the team was brought to the peak of form. As a coach, I understand football players, coaches and leaders. In the group round of the Europa League, the Kievans will play with the familiar Fenerbahce and the familiar Cypriot AEK, who played with Dnipro-1. These teams are already familiar to us, but it makes sense to talk about Rennes.
— You studied the game of Rennes. What can you say about this French team and what chances do Dynamo have in this group?
– I think Dynamo will be fresh in the Europa League. And I will say that the people of Kiev know how to play. I think that Dynamo will win their group in the Europa League. I watched Rennes play with Lance. Yes, Lance completely outplayed the opponent, winning 2:1. I was surprised! I thought it would be the other way around, to be honest. I did not see the organization of the game at Rennes. This is a paradox! I was amazed, I expected something completely different.
Yes, 17-year-old Tel went to Bayern, but he was not the main player in Rennes. Although the main player in the defensive line Moroccan Nayef Agerd moved to West Ham. And that year, the talented Camavinga moved to Real Madrid! An experienced, good goalkeeper Mandanda, Kalimuendo, Belgian Teate, as well as Welsh Rodon from Tottenham came to the team. Rennes finished fourth in the French Championship last season and finished sixth the year before last.
Before the match with Dynamo (October 6), Rennes will play Auxerre in the French championship, a very decent Marseille that I like, and Strasbourg. As part of the Europa League, the French will play with AEK and Fenerbahce. In these fights, the people of Kiev will be able to study their rivals. I am very optimistic about the Kiev group.
– Do you think the people of Kiev will be able to repeat the success in the matches with Fenerbahce and reach the playoffs of the Europa League?
– Yes, Dynamo have already passed Fenerbahce. Although the Turks after the relegation from Dynamo defeated Slovacko and Austria. At the start of the Turkish Championship, the Canaries scored 10 points in five matches. The Turks score a lot and concede a lot. Dynamo can successfully play with all opponents and win this group.
I can already see the smiles of skeptics who say: “Well, well, Grozny, you are again in the clouds!” I don’t have my head in the clouds! The level of organization of the game among the people of Kiev is higher. Yes, the level of Fenerbahce players is higher than that of Dynamo. This is true! But the organization of the game of Kiev without the ball is much higher. Turkish teams don’t work very well without the ball. They are good for attack. If they manage to score, then it is difficult to play against them. And if the Turkish teams are not allowed to do what they can, they get nervous and get red cards. We remember this from the match against Dynamo in qualifying.
– What can you say about Dnipro-1, which will play with AZ, Apollo and Vaduz in the Conference League?
– Dnipro-1 is now in the process of creating a new playing style with new leaders, management and head coach with his own staff and his own game vision. At the same time, it is important to take into account the playing capabilities of all performers, especially newcomers-legionnaires. This will take time and patience.
In my opinion, the second half of the match with AEK in Kosice showed the great potential of the performers. And the victorious match with Dynamo confirmed this. And now it is very important to implement it. I am sure that it is the European Cup matches in the Conference League group that will contribute to this. Dnipro’s rivals are quite passable, including AZ, which finished fifth last season with the Eredivisie.
– Again, ironically, the Dnipro will play with the Cypriots and with Vaduz. What are the chances of Dnepr-1 to leave the quartet?
– Yes, indeed, Dnipro-1 will again play with the representative of Cyprus, but this time with the national champion Apollo. They are coached by the Spaniard David Catala, who previously headed AEK from Larnaca. On August 12, Apollon defeated Omonia (2:0) and won the Cyprus Super Cup.
Dnipro-1 will have the opportunity to get the necessary information on Apollo and Vaduz, as they play each other on September 8th. In the meantime, it makes sense to focus on a detailed study of his first rival in the group and the main competitor in the fight for the first place AZ. Dnipro-1, after a super-successful start in the UPL, is now in a great mood to solve all the tournament problems. As always, I am optimistic about the participation of all our teams in European competitions in the most difficult situation that we have today. But, I am sure that we will see all three Ukrainian teams in the spring part of European competitions. Let it be!
Dmitry Kotkov
Source: Sportarena
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
