Former Barcelona defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy has looked back on his brief but memorable spell at the club, sharing an interesting anecdote that sheds light on the demands of playing under former manag...
Former Barcelona defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy has looked back on his brief but memorable spell at the club, sharing an interesting anecdote that sheds light on the demands of playing under former manager Pep Guardiola.
Chygrynskiy arrived at Camp Nou in the summer of 2009 from Shakhtar Donetsk, following an impressive Champions League display that convinced Guardiola he could fit into Barça’s system.
However, the Ukrainian centre-back would only spend one season at the club, struggling to fully adapt to the tactical complexity and intense expectations.
Reflecting on his time
Reflecting on that time, Chygrynskiy admitted that his best performance for Barcelona came right at the very beginning.
He explained why playing with less preparation actually worked in his favour. As he recalled,
“I’ll tell you something… the first game I played with Barcelona was probably the best.
“But I played that game after only two training sessions. One of them lasted 15 minutes. And I played my best game.
“And you know why? Because I did not think too much. I did not think too much. I just played with my instinct,” he admitted.
Dmytro Chygrynskiy only spent one season at Barcelona. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
He then explained how overthinking began to affect his game once Guardiola’s detailed instructions became part of his routine.
“Once I started listening to Pep’s detailed instructions, I began to have doubts about every move.”
Sharing the dressing room with Messi
The former defender also shared fascinating observations about two global stars he played alongside in the dressing room.
Speaking about Lionel Messi, who was already established as the world’s best at the time, Chygrynskiy revealed a surprising detail about his training habits.
“Lionel Messi only does 40% of what he does in training in matches,” he said.
He also reflected on the personality of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, another short-term Barcelona signing from that era.
Describing the Swede’s intensity, Chygrynskiy noted, “He’s the strongest character I’ve ever met in football… he trains like an animal, he’s super demanding.
“But he didn’t fit into the special culture of the Barça dressing room,” he concluded.
Source: Mundo Deportivo
Category: General Sports
