Vyacheslav Koydan Shares His Experience in Swedish Football
Vyacheslav Koydan, a 31-year-old footballer from FC Chernihiv, recently discussed his experiences playing in Sweden, where he spent several years adapting to new conditions and approaches in football.
In 2017, Koydan decided to test his skills abroad and signed a contract with the Swedish club Gärdsherd, which was then competing in the second division. In 2018, he moved to Sandviken, and by 2021, he returned to Ukraine to continue his career with his home club.
During his time in Sweden, Vyacheslav Koydan noted significant differences between football in the Scandinavian country and that in Ukraine. The most noticeable difference, in his opinion, is the approach to training processes, workloads, and the relationships between players and coaches. 'This is a completely different story compared to our Ukrainian approaches. It's no coincidence that the phrase 'European approach' is often used — it really is different, and I felt it myself,' Koydan remarked.
He also emphasized that although it was about ten years ago, football in Sweden continues to evolve, and a new generation of coaches in Ukraine is beginning to adopt the same methods as those in European countries. 'It was in Sweden that I tactically grew. Thanks to how the coach explained all the episodes in detail, there was a lot of tactical work aimed at honing every detail: who, how, and where to move, open up, pass, and how to defend correctly. Therefore, a significant amount of work was done in terms of tactics. Before this, I had not encountered such a volume of tactical work in Ukraine,' he added.
Koydan also shared how his time in Sweden impacted his personality. 'I saw life in a European country, learned a lot of new things, and felt what the people there are like. I learned English, communicated comfortably, and even started giving interviews in English. I attended courses and learned Swedish at a basic level. I went through various everyday issues. Therefore, I gained a colossal life experience,' the footballer noted.
It is worth mentioning that during the last appearance of the Ukrainian national team, the team lost to Sweden with a score of 1:3 in the World Cup playoff semifinals, losing the chance to participate in the World Cup. This result was a heavy blow for Ukrainian fans and players, as dreams of participating in the global tournament remained unfulfilled.
Currently, Vyacheslav Koydan and his team, FC Chernihiv, are preparing for the semifinals of the Ukrainian Cup, where their opponent will be Metalist 1925. This is an important match for the club, and Koydan hopes for a successful performance, utilizing his experience gained in Sweden. Previously, he also candidly assessed the performance of the Ukrainian national team in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, emphasizing the importance of further developing Ukrainian football.