Dnipro joy for Kucherevskyy

By Igor Linnyk

For many, it was the biggest shock of the UEFA Cup first round. Leading 2-1 from the first leg in Germany, Hamburger SV lost 3-0 to FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk at the Meteor stadium to put the Ukrainian side on the European footballing map.

Sensational result
Goals from former Ukrainian internationals Dmytro Mykhailenko, Olexandr Rykun and Oleg Venhlinskyy propelled Dnipro into the second round on a night when domestic rivals FC Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Metalurh Donetsk were eliminated.

Great coach
For those in the know, the credit for this historic victory goes to Dnipro coach, Yevgen Kucherevskyy, who has achieved remarkable results since rejoining the club in 2001 after a long spell in Russia.

Old glories
The 62-year-old steered Dnipro to a Soviet league title in 1988 and a Soviet Cup the following year before leaving to try his luck at several Russian clubs in the early 1990s.

Rapid rise
His return saw Dnipro move up the ranks in Ukraine's Premier League, earning a place in the UEFA Cup by finishing fourth in 2002/03. In the qualifying round, Dnipro beat Liechtenstein's FC Vaduz 2-0 on aggregate, but few gave them much hope against Kurt Jara's Hamburg.

Low expectations
Local pundits, who have become accustomed to seeing Ukrainian clubs aside from FC Dynamo Kyiv fail in Europe, certainly did not rate Dnipro's chances after their first leg defeat - but they had reckoned without Kucherevskyy's tactical nous.

'Technique and tactics'
"Knowing we would be beaten in a physical game, we concentrated on our technique and tactics," explained the coach. "We studied our opponents and deliberately gave ground in the centre of midfield, relying on quick counterattacks."

Ukrainian victory
It was a masterstroke and one that could yet have major repercussions in Ukraine. While the Donetsk clubs who bowed out of the competition boasted players from 13 different national teams, Dnipro's triumph was magnified by the fact they relied entirely on Ukrainians.

Local heroes
Indeed, of the eleven players on the pitch at the final whistle against Hamburg, no fewer than seven were born in Dnipropetrovsk - much to the delight of local supporters and the significant lobby in favour of restricting the number of foreigners in the Premier League.

Croatian challenge
With clubs in neighbouring Russia discussing a quota system for foreign players, Dnipro could make an even stronger case for homegrown talent in Ukraine with a second-round win against NK Dinamo Zagreb. The Croatian side already know a bit about Ukrainian football having lost out in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round with a 5-1 aggregate defeat by Dynamo Kyiv.

Dynamo assistance
Kucherevskyy is now enlisting Dynamo's help as he aims to compile a dossier on Dnipro's opponents. "We will study our opponents thoroughly, and we are hoping for some help from Dynamo on that," he said. "We have started with away fixtures twice in this competition, and won through on both occasions, so I am hoping this system works for us again."

Winter wonder
If Kucherevskyy's system works, Dnipro could become the first Ukrainian team to stay in the UEFA Cup beyond Christmas since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The last time Dnipro were competing in Europe after the midwinter break was in 1989/90 when they were knocked out of the European Champion Clubs' Cup by SL Benfica at the quarter-final stage.

National triumph
Kucherevskyy was coach in that campaign. If he can repeat the feat, it will be a victory for the whole of Ukraine.