Dynamo ready to usher in new dawn

A 1-0 defeat at home against FC Metalist Kharkhiv and a serious medical problem for coach Jozsef Szabó have prompted another rethink at FC Dynamo Kyiv.

Secondary concern
Losing against Metalist was another serious blow for Dynamo, who are now ten points adrift of Ukrainian Premier League leaders FC Shakhtar Donetsk and, perhaps more gallingly, four points behind second-placed FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the race for the second 2008/09 UEFA Champions League place. When the 67-year-old Szabó was admitted to hospital at the weekend with a heart problem, however, the club's poor briefly became a secondary concern.

'He needs to get well'
Now Dynamo have announced that Szabó, hired following the resignation of Anatoliy Demyanenko after UEFA Champions League Matchday 1, will step back, allowing his 39-year-old assistant Oleh Luzhny to take command for the time being. Dynamo president Ihor Surkis said: "Szabó had seen doctors a few times before becoming coach this autumn and we knew about it, but an ambulance had to be called in this time. He needs to get well."

Longstanding problem
Still without a point in Group F as they travel to face Manchester United FC on Wednesday, Surkis feels Dynamo need urgent work to restore their health too. "We can't wait for the winter break," he said. "We will make fundamental changes in the transfer market and add four or five young Ukrainian players to the squad." It remains to be seen whether another influx of new players can resolve a longstanding problem at Dynamo.

Lobanovskiy's shadow
Since the death of the club's iconic coach Valeriy Lobanovskiy in 2002, the club have struggled to maintain the footballing traditions laid down by 'The Master'. "Unfortunately the people who tried to uphold these traditions could not manage it," explained Surkis. "They lacked knowledge, experience and the determination bordering on self-sacrifice necessary to lead a team like Dynamo. Every one of them wanted to work a bit and rest a bit, and it does not work like that."

New impetus
Now Surkis, president since 2000, is preparing to make a break with the past. "The tradition of continuity is over," he said. "We need to honour Lobanovskiy's results, not his training legacy. Unfortunately, with The Master dead, there was no one else to lead the team in his path. This is why we will change the club. For now, we have eight matches to play [before the winter break] and if they have any honour and conscience, this team will regroup and play decently."

Lost season
Surkis said he was prepared to sacrifice this season's results in the hope of a long-term improvement. "If we don't win a UEFA Champions League berth for next season I will not make a tragedy out of it," he said. "On the contrary, I see a positive side to that. It would give us a year to create a new team which could gain experience in the UEFA Cup. The great [FC] Bayern München have taken that path and we're not ashamed to walk it as well."