Lucescu told Surkis. “I take note of your
unbreakable faith in the development
of Dynamo Kiev.”
Internal bloodletting was the
last thing Dynamo needed. Once a
European powerhouse, capable of going
toe-to-toe with the continent’s best
teams, they have been in the doldrums
for quite some time. They have not won
the Ukraine Premier League since 2016
and for far too long, have had to play
second fiddle to Shakhtar, a role they
have grown heartily sick of. Dynamo do
have their share of rising stars, notably
right-winger Viktor Tsygankov, midfielder
Mykola Shaparenko, left-back Vitaliy
Mykolenko and central defender
Mykyta Burda. The unfortunate truth,
though, is that they simply cannot
match Shakhtar for squad depth and
game-changing performers. Another
major problem is the fate of promising
young striker Artem Besedin, who was
handed a12-month ban for a doping
offenceinMay.
Shakhtar,topdogsineachofthelast
four seasons, have too much quality to
slip up. The Miners are a country mile
ahead of the rest of the top-flight pack.
And so they should
be with a coach
of the calibre of
the Portuguese
technician Luis
Castro, an infinite
amount of
Champions League
experience, and
oodles of finesse,
speed and
firepowerinthe
attacking third.
Their fortunesDynamo in
disarray over
new coach
M
ost teams prepare for a
new season by working on
their fitness and fine tuning
in friendlies. Ukraine’s most
decorated side Dynamo Kiev –15 times
national champions since independence
in1991 – are currently trying a different
approach, fomenting their very own
backyard civil war.
The spark which ignited the conflict in
Kiev was the recent decision of Dynamo
owner Ihor Surkis to bring in the veteran
Romanian Mircea Lucescu as coach.
Nothing wrong with that, you might think;
the 75-year-old Lucescu has a brilliant
track record as a team leader in his
homeland, Italy, Turkey, and Russia,
as well as Ukraine itself. Either through
naivety or sheer bloody mindedness, it
did not seem to register with Surkis that
the Lucescu appointment was decidedly
unpopular within the Dynamocommunity. In the eyes of many
supporters, it simply wasn’t acceptable
to recruit Lucescu, a man who, for12
seasons (2004-2016) had been in
charge of arch-rivals Shakhtar Donetsk.
Soon the perfect storm was brewing.
A never-ending flow of critical columns
in the local press; angry fans descending
on the club’s HQ; hard-core ultra fans
threatening the new coach with total
hostility. Lucescu tendered his resignation
just four days after signing – only to then
sensationally retract after being talked
around by Surkis. It’s difficult to imagine
the Dynamo of 2020-21 prospering
in such a toxic atmosphere. Sooner
or later, the volcano will erupt again.
In one of the most intriguing aspects
of the affair, Dynamo even thought it
wise to put all their email exchanges
with Lucescu into the public domain.
“I’m prepared to overcome the difficulties
if I have the support of a person like you,”will be inextricably linked to their large
contingent of Brazilian-born talent.
Between them, naturalised Ukrainians
Junior Moraes and Marlos struck 33
league goals last season, with wingers
Taison and Tete next on the club’s list of
top scorers, while all-action midfielder
Marcos Antonio and attacking right-back
Dodo are both set to become key
players at the Donbass Arena.
Adventurous left-back Ismaily damaged
cruciate ligaments this summer and is
out until the New Year, so converted
winger Marquinhos Cipriano is likely
to take up the slack.
They are not short of emerging talent.
Elusive Israeli winger Manor Solomon
is growing in poise and influence week
on week, Ukraine U21 international
Vladyslav Vakula is a highly-promising
forward, although he will miss the first
few months of the new campaign after
a shoulder operation. Barring any major
injuries to this highly-talented squad, it
is likely to be another title for Shakhtar.
All Ukrainian lovers of sporting
romance will be keeping their fingers
crossed that a few more chapters
remain in the Cinderella story of village
team Kolos Kovalivka, who in five short
years have gone from the domestic
amateur ranks to the upper echelons
of the Premier League. Only a football
entity since 2012, Kolos enjoyed a
memorable elite inauguration last
term, finishing sixth in the table and
winning a play-off to earn Europa
League qualification – their first-ever
appearance in cross-border competition.
Incredible progress, especially when
you consider that they come from
a hamlet of only1,500 inhabitants.
Nick BidwellU
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1
Season preview2020-21
UKRAINE PREMIER LEAGUE
Unpopular...Lucescu
returns to Ukraine four
years after leavingTeam to beat...
Shakhtar are chasing
their fifth league title
in a rowA never-ending flow of critical
columns in the local press; angry
fans descending on the club’s HQ;
hard-core ultra fans threatening the
new coach with total hostility