Belarus champion Dinamo Minsk played their home matches for the UEFA Conference League group stage in Sumgayit. In their final match in Sumgayit, the team defeated Northern Ireland's Larne 2-0, who were also without points.
Idman.biz, citing Prosport.Az, reports that Dinamo's head coach Vadim Skripchenko responded to questions from a reporter sent to Sumgayit.
– Finally, you earned your first points. This came in the last of your three matches in Sumgayit. What are your thoughts on the match and your chances of advancing to the next stage?
– We are happy to have won today. Although we had the upper hand in the first half, we couldn't create any significant danger to the opponent's goal. However, the changes we made in the second half increased the intensity of the game, and we won. This victory gives us a good chance to continue our journey in the tournament. We know it won’t be easy to defeat Panathinaikos in Athens in the final round, especially with their strong fan support. But if we have a chance, we will do our best.
– What can you say about Azerbaijani football?
– I follow the standings of the Azerbaijan Premier League. I particularly pay attention to Neftchi, a club with a historical legacy, because Egor Bogomolskiy, who is from Minsk Dinamo, plays there. He was part of my team when I coached Minsk two years ago. He showed great promise there and signed with Neftchi. Egor Khvalko also plays at Kapaz. However, his team is not at the level of Qarabag or Neftchi...
– He is the captain of Kapaz...
– Thank you for the information. Belarusian coach Aleksey Baga also worked at Sumgayit. I try to follow the leagues where Belarusian coaches or players are active. One downside I see in Azerbaijan is the prevalence of artificial turf fields. I wish success to Azerbaijani football, its league, and the national team for continued development.
– When you heard that Dinamo had to play its home European matches abroad, why did you choose Azerbaijan, and why Sumgayit specifically?
– First of all, I am grateful to our friends in Sumgayit, Baku, and Azerbaijan for giving us the opportunity to play here. It was essential for us to play on a high-quality pitch, and we didn't face any problems here. As for your question, we couldn't play in Baku because Qarabag was hosting Europa League matches at the same time. According to UEFA regulations, two matches cannot take place in the same city on the same day. Since Sumgayit is only 30 km from Baku and is a safe place, we chose it.
– Dinamo is a brand of Belarusian football, having been the Soviet champion in 1982. However, in the years since independence, the team's international success has been less prominent. What is the reason for this?
– The answer is clear. There are differences between the traditional Dinamo, founded in 1927, and the current team. The team became the Soviet champion in 1982 and had successful campaigns in European competitions in the 1980s. Later, players like Alexander Hleb, Timofey Kalachev, Sergey Kornilenko, Vitali Kutuzov, Valentin Belkevich (who ended his career with Baku's Inter in 2009), Sergey Aleynikov, and Sergey Gotsmanov emerged, playing abroad. Currently, the club is searching for the best path at the levels of the club, national team, and youth football to foster development. While we earned our first points against Larne, I can say that we performed well in the other three matches, except for the one against Legia.
– You also played for Moscow's MOIK. After you, Vasiliy Berezutskiy came to the club, but he is considered a legend of the club and is working in Azerbaijan as a head coach for the first time. What can you say about him and his career in Azerbaijan, as well as about the Russian expert Kurban Berdyev?
– He was an excellent player and defender. He had a long career at MOIK alongside his brother Aleksei. As a coach, he worked as an assistant to Leonid Slutsky. Now, he has ambitions, gained experience, and is coaching Sabah. I believe his first results with Sabah were positive...
– Yes, his team is still unbeaten...
– That’s why I wish Sabah the best of luck. If the team is performing at a high level, it’s good for both Sabah and Azerbaijani football. As for Gurban Berdyev, he is a legendary coach. He led Rubin in the Champions League. As they say, there’s nothing new for him in football. He has always been a coach who demands discipline from his teams. As far as I know, his team Turan Tovuz is in 3rd or 4th place...
– They are in 3rd...
– That’s a good result. I can only wish him and his team success.
– I imagine this was your first time in Sumgayit for this tournament. What impressions will you take back to Minsk?
– Yes, this was my first time. But we’ll stay in Baku for another week. We will prepare for the match against Panathinaikos at the Sabah training base. The club has provided excellent facilities for us. We will fly to Athens on December 17. As for impressions, as I mentioned earlier, we didn’t face any problems here. If there were any, we resolved them with the hotel staff. Since we played three matches here and won the last one, we leave with good impressions (laughs).
Idman.biz
