2023-12-24 17:12:38
I was in Ukraine for years. But no one noticed him. Only Girona. Only the restless look of Quique Cárcel. He was in the European market, the one that remains hidden below the great figures for which 80, 90, 100 million are paid… Or more.
Artem Dovbyk was in his country after a not-so-good experience in Denmark. But he didn’t stop scoring goals. That’s why Cárcel wanted to bring him to Montilivi years ago. But he couldn’t because Girona was then in Second division, an unattractive destination for someone like him who has made scoring an art. And that in football is worth a lot of money.
Stealth work
It didn’t happen from one day to the next. Once Dobvyk’s potential was discovered, stealthy work was needed. Stealthy and silent to prevent it from entering the market.
The sports director of the Catalan club needed to attract, thanks to the discreet efforts of Pere Guardiola, president of the board of directors, remove Víktor Tsygankov from kyiv.
That was the previous step, and almost essential, to bring in Dovbyk, that forward who has 11 goals (only two less than Bellingham and three more than Lewandowski), in addition to having distributed five assists.
Without Tsygankov, whom Girona kept hidden for two weeks in the Caldes de Malavella golf complex, next to its sports city of The vineyard, Dovbyk would not have come.
⚡️ The magic of Savinho and the cold blood, once again, of Artem Dovbyk! ????#RealBetisGirona | #LaLigaHighlights | @LaLiga pic.twitter.com/Ibj12AY0V8
— Girona FC (@GironaFC) December 22, 2023
They both live there now. In a discreet way, extremely professional like that Ukrainian couple who dazzled in Montilivi. A week ago, the Rambla de Girona had a strange and long queue next to the stone bridge. There were more than 300 people waiting patiently for the arrival of Víktor (26 years old) and Artem (26) to sign autographs.
He has 11 goals and four with his head, only surpassed by Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), who scored five goals with his head.
They arrived stealthily at the door of the ‘Botiga del Girona’ installed in the historic center of the city without being aware that both are already celebrities. More than an hour and a half in line to receive the most anticipated treasure: the autograph of the Ukrainians. Tsygankov, who speaks more than correct English, is already beginning to utter the occasional word in Spanish. Dovbyk, nothing.
Víktor and Artem, 4 months together in Spain
He has only been in Spain for four months, more than enough time for him to have caused astonishment with his game. Girona lived for years and years of smell and wisdom in the Stuani area.
But Artem appeared, the most expensive signing in the club’s history, and has managed to shake off in record time that addictive dependence on the Uruguayan expert, transformed into the symbol of the change of an anonymous club in the elite that now co-leads the Spanish League with Madrid, leaving Xavi’s Barça and ‘Cholo’s Atlético to seven points.
Era Stuani and 10 more. Not now. Dovbyk is a ‘nine’ different from the captain. The Uruguayan finished in the area and almost always in the small area. The Ukrainian sinks rival defenders in the area, capable of moving intelligently outside of it.
He is big (he measures 1.89 m), but extremely coordinated, with creativity to understand their complex position. He is doing great in the air (he has four headed goals, only surpassed by Harry Kane, from Bayern, who scored five) and he interprets immediately what Míchel demands of him.
His mere presence conditions the enemy’s game. Whatever it is. Whatever level you have. It alters the landscape of any match. It has always been like this. His last season in the Dnipro-1 Ukrainian (29 goals and eight assists in 39 games) already allowed us to guess that impact.
The Ukrainian came to Montilivi to replace ‘Taty’ Castellanos, who scored 13 goals in 35 league games. Dobvyk has it just two goals away
But no one noticed that “robot”, as they jokingly call it by La Vinya. Inexpressive, hieratic forward, capable of hiding his emotions, although now he has added a singular celebration with Yan Couto, both jumping as if they were gorillas.
That’s how it is on the grass. Inside the locker room, however, he is a different player. He smiles and seems close and close, although the language barrier stops those emotions that he does express with his colleagues. He came to replace Taty Castellanos (13 goals in 35 games)who went to Lazio, while he is on his way to overthrowing all the records of his predecessor: 11 goals in 17 games.
Debut and goal in San Sebastián
But his first goal in the League revealed that Girona had just signed something big. He was a substitute in San Sebastián. He came on in the 64th minute. He was replacing, of course, Stuani. And eight minutes later (m. 72), Tsygankov, his friend, partner and crony, made an excellent play on the right wing before assisting him. A precise header and the tie (1-1) on the first day. Artem’s letter of introduction in Spain.
Just 26 minutes on the field, one shot on goal, a goal. Prelude to the ‘Dovbyk phenomenon’ that was unleashed later. Accurate and selective type. It does not shoot indiscriminately. He has 39 shots. And 20 between the three sticks to score his 11th goal. That is, a 55% correct.
“Dovbyk is very good and is very happy in Girona and in the team. He has a friend, who is Víktor, who has made his adaptation to the team good. He is a differential player”
“He is a first-class striker,” he confessed. Xavi after suffering it in Montjuïc where neither Araujo nor Koundé could detect it, associated as it was with Tsygankov. “Dovbyk is very good and is very happy in Girona and in the team,” certified Míchel, his coach.
Denmark and Moldova
“He has a friend, who is Víktor, who has made his adaptation to the team good. He is a player differential. Both he and Stuani are top-level forwards,” stressed the Madrid coach, who happily enjoys those Ukrainian gems that Quique Cárcel found.
Vítkor was (January 2023) the most expensive signing in the club’s history because five million euros were paid. Then, Artem took away that honor (August 2023) by costing 7.7 million for 70% of his property since the remaining 30% is shared between Midtjylland (Denmark) and Dnipro-1 (Ukraine).
It had been there for a long time after a anonymous passage through Danish footballbefore he was even in Moldavia. But only Girona detected that a real treasure was hidden behind that ‘robot’.
#Girona #find #Dovbyk #astonishes #goals