Eremenko glum despite Dynamo success

FC Dynamo Kyiv had mixed feelings after their win against Fenerbahçe SK with Pape Diakhate targeting silverware in the UEFA Cup while Roman Eremenko rued his side's exit from the UEFA Champions League.

First goal
On loan from Udinese Calcio until next summer, Eremenko scored the only goal of the game to seal third place in Group G for Dynamo, but was in no mood for celebration afterwards. "This was my first goal in the Champions League and only my second for Dynamo so it is a pity I score too rarely," said the midfielder.

Porto setback
Coach Yuri Semin was happy to have earned a UEFA Cup Round of 32 place, but Eremenko seemed less convinced. "We wanted to qualify for the next phase [of the UEFA Champions League] and had every chance to do so," said the Finnish international, "but a 2-1 home defeat against Porto [on Matchday 4] was the turning point. That setback nearly killed us."

Measured performance
Dynamo thus needed to motivate themselves for the Fenerbahçe game, and Eremenko was pleased enough in that regard. "Everyone could see we approached the match with good mentality and were very focused," he said. "We played for a win because if you start thinking about a draw the other side can score at any time and it's all over then."

Diakhate buoyant
Senegalese centre-back Diakhate, the only player to wear a short-sleeved shirt and no gloves in Kiev, was less downbeat about the Group G exit and looked forward to the UEFA Cup. "Every player wants to win trophies," he said. "Considering past disappointments, this is a positive step for us. I believe we can win the UEFA Cup."