Message from Kiev

The team of 12-year-old Dynamo players (born in 2011), under the leadership of coaches Serhiy Zhuravlyov and Roman Shpytsia, returned from the international football tournament Yourlease Talent Tournament, which took place from June 10th to 11th in the Netherlands.

Prominent Dutch, Belgian, Polish, Greek, English, and Icelandic teams with strong youth development programs participated in the competition, including Ajax, Feyenoord, AZ (Alkmaar), PSV Eindhoven, Heerenveen, Utrecht, Vitesse, Genk, Brugge, Slask (Wroclaw), PAOK, Leeds, Breidablik, and others.

The 16 teams were divided into four groups of four participants each. The Dynamo team was placed in Group A along with the hosts SO Soest, Ajax, and the Polish team "Slask" (Wrocław). First, our boys lost to the Polish team with a minimal score of 0-1, then they defeated SO Soest with a score of 2-0, and in the final, they lost to Ajax with a score of 0-4. This match could have had a different outcome if our striker, who had at least two opportunities to stand out at the beginning of the match, had capitalized on his one-on-one chances against the goalkeeper. Individual mistakes led to missed goals.

As a result, Kiev secured the third place in their group, and in the matches for positions 9-16, they first defeated the Icelandic team Breidablik with a score of 2-1, then lost to PSV Eindhoven with a score of 0-2, and for the second time, they defeated the hosts SO Soest with a score of 3-2. Ultimately, the Dynamo players achieved the 11th place.

The tournament was won by Ajax from Amsterdam, which defeated another Dutch team, Feyenoord, in the final match with a score of 3-0.

Overall, it was a fantastic event. The organizers created excellent conditions for the children, displayed a friendly attitude, and invited the Dynamo team to participate again next year after the tournament. During the matches, our boys stayed with host families who received them warmly, with kindness and sincerity, and took care of them. The organizers also arranged a general picnic for the young footballers and their parents, leaving a great impression.

It is worth noting that the tournament brought together a large number of parents of children and regular spectators who wanted to see the future football stars in action. Even the parents of other participants came to support our team, and the coaches of the Icelandic team Breidablik took the opportunity to get to know each other and inquire about the situation in Ukraine.

The organizers of the competition expressed special thanks to the footballers and coaches of Kiev Dynamo, who were able to escape the tense situation associated with the large-scale war between Russia and Ukraine and enjoy the carefree atmosphere during the tournament. In turn, the Dynamo coaches and young footballers thank the organizing committee of the Yourlease Talent Tournament, represented by Melanie Fleur, Michel Vlaswinkel, as well as Dirk Blok and Rene Winman, for the high level of the competition and providing the teams with the most comfortable conditions.

Especially touching and sincere was the farewell when our boys departed.