“I do not plan to finish my career after Euro 2021”

In an exclusive interview with Sport.ua, the Shakhtar goalkeeper denied the rumors of withdrawal after Euro 2021, told how he suffered COVID-19 and praised Trubin for the match against Inter.

We started our conversation with Andrey with information that surfaced yesterday that he supposedly plans to end his career immediately after Euro 2021.

– Comment on the information that you plan to finish your career after Euro 2021. Is it true?

– No, this is definitely not true. Having weighed all the facts, I understand why this information appeared. In my opinion, it is a bit ugly to talk about what is not really. I will definitely not announce these people, but once again I was convinced that not everyone has honor and dignity.

– From what I understand, you have not yet decided when to hang the gloves on a nail. Right?

– Yes. During the quarantine, I spoke with Igor Tsyganik and told him that as a player on the national team for Euro 2021, it would probably be the last tournament for me. But the fact that I will finish my degree next summer, as they wrote, is silly. At the very least, this is incorrect in relation to me.

– Do you associate these “insiders” with rumors about the possible transfer of Vorskla goalkeeper Dmitry Riznyk to Shakhtar?

– This question should be asked of those who disclose such “inside information”. Maybe these people will tell you themselves. I do not want to delve into these moments close to football. Let it remain in your conscience.

– You said that Gianluigi Buffon is an example for you in terms of goalkeeping ability, who is still on the field at 42 …

– For me, not only Buffon is an example, but also Sasha Shovkovsky, who achieved a lot in her career and played at a high level for a long time. How much am I going to play? Everything will depend on the mood and the trauma. Thank goodness injuries are overlooked. Yes, Covid-19 got a little uneasy, many of our team have been ill and are now improving. At the same time, our young players seized the opportunity in the Champions League, in the games with Real Madrid and Inter they showed their worth. I am very proud that these young people are growing up in Shakhtar.

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– After the semi-final of the Europa League, in which Shakhtar conceded 5 goals from Inter, they managed to play to zero. Did you draw the correct conclusions?

– Insurance. We draw conclusions from each defeat, both from the players and from the coaching staff. They showed extraordinary dedication, maybe they sacrificed something, but they achieved a positive result.

– There is an opinion that in the matches against Real and Inter, Shakhtar moved away from their style: they acted in the simplest, most careful and rational way possible. Do you agree?

– No. Shakhtar cannot deviate from their style, we are used to playing attacking football. With Real Madrid we could have scored five goals. Another thing is that Inter played differently from Real. In Antonio Conte, with loss of the ball, 8 players recline closing the zones. I think they saw the game with Real Madrid, they saw that our fast players can run away and find their chance. Therefore, when the ball was lost, “Inter” withdrew very actively.

– Did Inter play yesterday against Shakhtar differently than in the semi-finals of the Europa League?

– I can’t say they have changed much. Judging from the first half, Inter played roughly the same as in the semi-finals. The score was only 0: 0 in the first half. And after the break, both Shakhtar and Inter played cautiously. In the second half, Inter had two chances when Tolya Trubin saved. So they did not go on the attack with great force and did not really know what to do. In the semifinals we conceded a goal and we had to open up. In turn, Inter scored three or four goals out of five after our losses and cuts.

FC Shakhtar. Anatoly trubin

– Anatoly Trubin, according to Instat, became the best player on the Shakhtar roster. Did you play a good game?

– Insurance! I told him after the game. He played with confidence. This is the most important thing for the goalkeeper.

– After the match, Luis Castro said that Trubin was number one for the match with Inter. Do you feel the competition from him?

– There is always competition! Everything is decided by the coach: if he trusts Trubin, then he puts it. If you are sure of me, despise me. It’s about competition. We force each other to raise the bar, work and give in with all their might.

– With Inter, Castro played the same squad that beat Real, although many of the main players have already returned to the squad. Do you have the rule that does not change the winning lineup?

– (Smile). The Portuguese have no such rule. I think that is the confidence of the coach. The boys showed with their game that they deserve and deserve this opportunity. We have a very tight schedule now, with matches every three days. Therefore, it is now very important that those who have undergone the coronavirus gain optimal conditions as soon as possible. Yesterday all the replacements were forced. Tyson left without a warm-up in the 15th minute and gave volume, closed his zone, accelerated the attacks. The competition does better too.

We are all professionals and we understand: someone has a chance today, someone tomorrow. The certainty that you are one hundred percent in the lineup is relaxing. I hope that the competition will help us to be stronger as a team, and perhaps this year we will go even further in European competitions.

– Young players do not joke at the level of jokes: they say, now we are playing, but do you sit and wait for your chance?

– (Laughs) No, in this sense everything is fine. Perhaps someone is teasing, but you can feel all this warmth.

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– After two rounds, Shakhtar together with Borussia lead Group B …

– Now you understand what “spark” will mean with Mönchengladbach. After the Champions League draw with Shakhtar, few people believed in the group with Real, Inter and Borussia. I don’t think anybody predicted four points after two rounds either. We get up and we must embrace it.

I remember when I first came to Shakhtar, we beat Celtic and Benfica in the first two rounds, and then we lost four games in a row and went nowhere.

FC Shakhtar. Andrey Pyatov

– Before the draw he guessed two opponents: Borussia and Inter. At the same time, Liverpool wanted from the first basket. Did you want a “death group” for Shakhtar?

– I understood that with our luck we could not avoid this (laughs). I wanted Liverpool because I never played with him. With “Inter” probably, after 0: 5, fate ordered us to play again. As for Borussia, Mönchengladbach had the feeling that we would catch them from the fourth basket.

– Did you see how Borussia almost beat Real?

– No. I saw Borussia leading 2-0. In the morning I woke up, I look at the score – 2: 2. This once again confirms that our group is very difficult.

– How did you cope with the coronavirus? How do you feel now?

– Thank God, everything went well for me. But for two weeks, until he passed a positive test, he was isolated on the outskirts of town. Probably a few moments remained; the lungs still weren’t working as they should. But I’m already working with all my might.