Dynamo Kyiv Europa League Preview 2017-18

Dynamo Kyiv Europa League Preview 2017-18

Manuel Veth –

Group B: Dynamo Kyiv Europa League Preview

Dynamo Kyiv – Europa League Preview: The Stadium

NSK Olimpiyskiy – (capacity 70,050)

Dynamo Kyiv Europa League Preview - Dynamo will be playing their home games at the Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex. (Manuel Veth / Futbolgrad Network)

Dynamo Kyiv Europa League Preview – Dynamo will be playing their home games at the Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex. (Manuel Veth / Futbolgrad Network)

Dynamo Kyiv Europa League Preview – About the Club

Dynamo Kyiv are in rebuild. After winning the Ukrainian Premier League in 2015 and 2016, the club finished second behind rivals Shakhtar Donetsk last season. The last season started with plenty of optimism but ended with plenty of disappointment. Dynamo hoped to build on the 2015-16 campaign where they won the Ukrainian championship and also reached the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.Instead it was Shakhtar, who swept the field in the Ukrainian Premier League easily winning the league by

Instead, it was Shakhtar, who swept the field in the Ukrainian Premier League easily winning the league by 14-point margin. In the Champions League Dynamo finished last in their group and broke a new record for the lowest attendance number for a UEFA Champions League group stage match on matchday 6 when they beat Beşiktaş 6-0. As a result of the poor season, Dynamo decided to part ways with successful head coach Serhiy Rebrov, who has since been replaced by the Belarusian Alyaksandr Khatskevich.

Andriy Yarmolenko has left the club for Borussia Dortmund. (JANEK SKARZYNSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

Andriy Yarmolenko has left the club for Borussia Dortmund. (JANEK SKARZYNSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

Last season was then further complicated when news emerged that the Surkis brothers, who own the club, had some of their financial assets frozen through the nationalisation of the PrivatBank. As a result, Dynamo were unable to make any major investments ahead of this season and after failing to reach the group stage of the UEFA Champions League Dynamo opted to sell superstar Andriy Yarmolenko to Borussia Dortmund for €25 million. New head coach Khatskevich now faces the thankless task to rebuild Dynamo Kyiv without major financial assets and superstar and club legend Yarmolenko.

Know Your Oligarch:

Since the independence of Ukraine, the Surkis brothers, who are very influential in Ukrainian football, have always controlled Dynamo, at least in part. The older brother, Hryhoriy, was president of the club from 1993 until 1998. After officially resigning from the club he took over as president of the Football Federation of Ukraine where he was in charge until 2012, and he is now a Vice-President of UEFA. His younger brother Ihor now runs the club. Their wealth comes mainly from

FC Dynamo Kiev president Ihor Surkis (l.) is the younger of the two Surkis brothers. (SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/GettyImages)

FC Dynamo Kiev president Ihor Surkis (l.) is the younger of the two Surkis brothers. (SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/GettyImages)

After officially resigning from the club he took over as president of the Football Federation of Ukraine where he was in charge until 2012, and he is now a Vice-President of UEFA. His younger brother Ihor now runs the club. Their wealth comes mainly from control of various power distribution companies.

Dynamo Kyiv Europa League Preview – Opponents:

Dynamo were handed a fascinating group that includes Serbia’s Partizan Belgrade, Albania’s Skënderbeu and Young Boys Bern from Switzerland. Young Boys eliminated Dynamo Kyiv in the third round of UEFA Champions League qualification. The Swiss in turn were then eliminated by CSKA Moscow, which then opened the door to the bizarre situation that Dynamo now faces last season’s Swiss Super League runners up for a second time this season.

Dynamo Kyiv Europa League Preview – What to Expect:

With Yarmolenko in the lineup, Dynamo would have had a good chance to win this group. Without him, they are now a bit of an average side and will likely battle for second place behind Young Boys. Their biggest challenge for advancing to the next round will be Partizan Belgrade. Once in the round of 32, it will all depend on the luck of the draw.

Dynamo Kyiv Europa League Preview – The Biggest Star

With Yarmolenko gone Dynamo lack a true superstar. Perhaps the most important player on the side these days is the Congolese striker Dieumerci Mbokani, who returned to the club this season after spending two years on loan in England. A physical strong striker Mbokani has blossomed under new head coach Khatskevich and has already scored three goals in four matches.

Dynamo Kyiv Europa League Preview – Likely Lineup

Koval – Kędziora, Kádár, Vida, Morozyuk – Sydorchuk, Buyalskyy – Gonzalez, Garmash, Tsyhankov – Mbokanihttps://www.patreon.com/futbolgradManuel Veth is a freelance journalist and social media junior editor at Bundesliga.com. He is also a holder of a Doctorate of Philosophy in History from King’s College London, and his thesis is titled: “Selling the People’s Game: Football’s transition from Communism to Capitalism in the Soviet Union and its Successor States,” which will be available in print soon. Originally from Munich, Manuel has lived in Amsterdam, Kyiv, Moscow, Tbilisi, London, and currently is located in Victoria BC, Canada.  Follow Manuel on Twitter @ManuelVeth.

COMMENTS

WORDPRESS: 0
DISQUS: 0