FCBARCELONA.CAT

30.08.2009 13:10

Youth, strength and good ball skills

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Dmytro Chygrynskyy is the first ever Ukrainian to play for Barça. The young centre half guarantees an aerial presence and strong defensive skills but is also good with the ball at his feet.

Dmytro Chygrynskyy was born on 7th November 1986 in Iziaslav (Ukraine). He is a young centre half and was a key member of the Shakhtar side that made history last season by winning the UEFA Cup, the first international trophy in the club’s history.

Joined Shakhtar at 14

He started playing football in the youth ranks of Karpati Lviv, a small team from Ukraine’s First Division. When he was 14 he was spotted and recruited by scouts from Shakhtar.

European debut against el Barça

He made his Shakhtar debut in the 2003/04 season at the age of just 17, playing one league match. He already stood out for his good positioning sense and his ability to play the ball out of defence. Curiously enough, he made his European debut on 7th December 2004 against Barça, a match the Ukrainians won 2-0. However, he played just a few minutes in injury time.

Despite his youth, he was already a regular in the Ukraine under-21s, helping them to qualify for the final stage of the European Cup.

On loan to Zaporizhia

In the 2005/06 season he went out on loan to PFK Metalurg Zaporizhia in order to get more experience, playing 15 matches and doing enough to convince the Shakhtar coaching staff to reincorporate him. He impressed with his determination, pace and ball skills.

He returned to Shakhtar before the winter break and went on to play 11 matches (3 goals) in the second half of the season, in the process winning the league title, his first trophy.

Injury keeps him out of World Cup

At the end of the season he played in the under-21s European Cup, leading Ukraine to the final where they were beaten by Holland. He was voted into the team of the tournament.

National team manager Oleg Blokhin named him in the senior squad for the 2006 World Cup however, injury problems that he had suffered with the under-21s kept him on the bench throughout the five matches played by the Ukraine.

A fixture at Shakhtar

At the age of 20, in the 2006/07 season, he captained Shakhtar to a second place finish in the league and to the Cup final, which they lost 2-1 against Dynamo Kiev. The following season he led the team to a league and Cup double and was voted best player in the Cup final. By now he was a fixture in the national team. Last season he made history by captaining Shakhtar to the UEFA Cup.