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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

KAKHA KALADZE: “LOBANOVSKY MADE ME THINK I AM A LIBERO”

13 November, 2012 - 00:00


Kaladze in his stride with Tbilisi Dynamo
Photo by Volodymyr Tymchenko

Kaladze brought to Ukraine a small part of Georgian soccer, its skills and elegance. He is playing a libero (fullback) and the main quality a libero has to have is stability.

“Of course, when there is only the goalie behind you, you should not risk at all,” he said, “but I do not like to kick the ball out even if I do not have any time and space.”

“So where is the moderation?”

“Dynamo plays actively without the ball. My partners always give me space for a pass.”

“You are younger than they are and you are in charge of defense. Are not you frightened?:

“Luzhny always tells me not to hesitate to prompt, not to be shy.”

“You said you played both offense and defense, but you never were a fullback.”

“Dynamo tried me as a halfback. I played libero in Moscow at the CIS Cup for the first time and Lobanovsky told me after the game that it was my place on the field.”

“What if he tells you to play where you want, which position would you choose?”

“Libero, of course.”

“You scored the goal against Spartak. What did that mean for you?”

“A lot, from the psychological standpoint. That was when I started to believe I could play in Dynamo.”

“Did you hesitate before making decision to move to Kyiv?”

“Yes, I did. But my father told me that this was my chance, because Lobanovsky is inviting you.”

“There are many your fellow Georgians now playing in foreign clubs. Who do you like, who do you, keep in touch with?”

“I like the way Shota Arveladze in Ajax. But my friend is Gogiashvili. He used to play for Alania of Vladikavkas and is now rented by Freiburg from Dynamo of Tbilisi.”

“Does he prefer to play in the second Bundesleague rather than in Tbilisi?”

“He says he does. We have an average championship in Georgia and a low standard of living. That’s why players leave the country.”

“What do you think the prospects are?”

“I would love to see my nation live better economically. As for soccer, Tbilisi Dynamo has fallen far behind Ukraine’s Dynamo. And I do not think we should expect any considerable changes soon. It will take years. But I think the national team has more promising prospects.”

“Where do you live in Kyiv?”

“The club gave me a four-room apartment in the same building with Rebrov and Shevchenko. My friends come to see me very often and now my mother and father are here.”

“How do you compare girls in Tbilisi and in Kyiv?”

“Well, here I have no time to go to discos, and I can’t say anything.”

“What are your weak and strong points?”

“I don’t feel any pressure on the field. That’s good. I cannot play with my right foot just as well as I can play with my left. That’s bad.”

“Do you intend to learn Ukrainian?”

“I won’t be able to learn two foreign languages at a time. Russian is hard enough.”

“What do you dream of?”

“I dream of winning the League of Champions with Dynamo.”

“Which game you remember the best?”

“Georgia against Italy preseason game at the 1998 World Cup championship. We tied the game 0:0. I played pretty successfully against Veiry and after that game Dynamo scout Ivan Terletsky called me and suggested I move to Kyiv.”

ARCHIEVE OF THE DAY:

Kakha Kaladze, defender, played for Lokomotiv of Samptredia and Dynamo of Tbilisi. Quadruple champion of Georgia (1994-1997). Conducted 85 games in the national league of Georgia and five games with the national team. Was traded to Dynamo of Kyiv in January 1998.


 

By Oleksandr Serdiuk, The Day
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