Krapyvtsov is a product of the work of Ukrainian goalkeeping coach Vladimir Tymenko. Vladimir Nikolayevich is a modern goalkeeper coach. Constantly participates in European conferences. Has an academic degree. He is engaged in psychology, wrote his book. Krapyvtsov and Tymenko worked together at the Dnipro-1 Academy and the youth national team of Ukraine in 2005.
Actually, Krapyvtsov is a reflection of the modern school of goalkeepers. He plays well with his feet, has a well-developed reaction, is calm, cool-headed. It has all the qualities of a high-level game. To a large extent, the credit for the development of talents belongs to Tymenko.
Even at the level of Ukraine, nobody knew anything about Vlad before the Youth Euro in July. He was the third goalkeeper in the Dnipro-1 system after Yevgeny Volynts and Yakov Kinareykin. He played for the youth team “Sportklubovtsev” with Nazar Makarenko.
In the spring of 2024, I witnessed the game of the youth championship of Ukraine between “Dynamo” and “Dneprom-1”, when the Kyiv team easily defeated the opponent – 6:1. Krapyvtsov did not show anything special in goal. It cannot be said that he brought, but he did not save.
In the summer, Krapyvtsov became the best goalkeeper of the tournament at the Junior Euro. Dmitry Mykhaylenko’s team reached the semi-finals. During the tournament, Vladyslav repeatedly saved his team.
Paradoxically, until 2024, Vlad was not called up even to the national team of Ukraine of his age. Oleg Kuznetsov bet on Vladyslav Kravets from Shakhtar and David Fesyuk from Khayduk. When there was a change of coach and Mykhaylenko joined the national team, instead of Kuznetsov and Tymenko as goalkeeper coaches, only Krapyvtsov started playing, who played all 7 matches of the Ukrainian national team in 2024.
“Dnepr-1” ceased its existence in the summer. A successful performance at the Euro gave Krapyvtsov the opportunity to try his hand at European football. I think that the fact that Vlad started his screenings closer to the fall, when the teams had already formed their squads, was a big problem here. In such conditions, it is very difficult to find a new team, even as a talent and free agent.
The second problem is the lack of experience in adult football. Krapyvtsov has not yet played a single match at the senior level. There is a lot of competition in England, because the clubs have good financial opportunities – they want ready-made players.
It made no sense to sign a contract with a status club with a player with no experience in adult football, who might someday play. It is better to give this place to an already ready player. For Krapyvtsov himself, being a goalkeeper in the system of Chelsea and Arsenal, where he was watched, would not bring any development. “Chelsea” has almost 10 goalkeepers under contract.
It seemed more realistic to sign a contract with a club from the Championship and start with the status of the third goalkeeper and try to win the competition through performances for youth teams. At least there was some chance of success here.
From the outside, it looked like the agent Shably was fulfilling Krapyvtsov’s wishes. If you want to join Chelsea, go for it. If you want to join Arsenal, go for it. Only there are very few chances to sign such a contract. And the chances of success are even less.
In fact, Krapyvtsov needs gradual development. He needs adaptation to life in Europe. He needs adaptation to adult football. Trust is very necessary. Tymenko will no longer be there for Vlad to play forever. Only because Krapyvtsov was the best goalkeeper of the youth Euro, no one will put him in goal in an adult club.
In my opinion, the best option for Vlad would be a transfer to some Belgian or Dutch club, which would guarantee him constant playing practice. Even if it was a small team. To have real opportunities to play, develop, gain experience in adult football, and then be ready to go to Chelsea and Arsenal in England to win the competition.
I understand that for Krapyvtsov himself, the status of the club is much more important than the prospects in it. There is a very simple football truth: big teams do not form players because they can buy already formed players. Small teams are interested in the development of players, because they live thanks to the sale of players and are interested in development.
As a result, Krapyvtsov signed a contract with “Girona”. It is clear that the Catalans are monitoring the Ukrainian market after the transfers of Viktor Tsygankov and Artem Dovbyk. It is interesting for them.
FC Girona. Vladyslav Krapyvtsov But so far this transition has left more questions than answers. “Girona” is a small club that produced only one successful season, when it finished in the Champions League zone. Now the team is an average player in La Liga. Every season they lose leaders (end of lease or transfers) and actually form a new team. The team can compete for the European Cups as well as qualify for relegation. There is no season for season. Now for the Catalans, a lot depends on the coach of the team Mychel. He has a contract with the club for one more season – until the summer of 2026. Mychel is called an applicant for a job in English clubs. Matched to “Barcelona”. Его уход is a question of a concrete sentence that has not yet been made. When the coach leaves, no one knows what the future of “Girona” will be
I already wrote above that “Girona” loses its leaders every season. But this does not apply to goalkeepers. Everything is calm here. The main goalkeeper is the experienced Argentine Paulo Gassaniga. He performed for many years in the Premier League and Spanish clubs. In February, Gassaniga signed a new contract with the Catalans until the end of the 2026/2027 season. In the summer, “Girona” rented from “Marseille” its own pupil Pau Lopez, who played for “Roma”, tried his hand at “Tottenham”. The Catalans have an option to buy out Lopez.
Mychel fully trusts Gassanigue, who played all the matches of the current season. Lopez is the backup goalkeeper. If they don’t buy him out, they will take someone else on the side. No one will make a goalkeeper who has not played for six months and does not have a single official match behind him as the second number.
There is no need to compare the situation of Andrey Lunin and Vlad Krapyvtsov. They are completely different in content. “Real” paid for Lunin in the region of 9 million euros plus registered bonuses. Lunin spent two seasons at the level of adult football, including playing in European Cups (he played a very strong match against Athletic Bilbao away from home). It was led for a long time, observed, there was a certain lobby.
In Krapyvtsov, the situation is somewhat different. He comes to the team as a prospective free agent. There are two experienced goalkeepers in the first team. In order to play, you need adaptation, you need a language. The youth team of “Girona” has two talented goalkeepers – Bulgarian Alexander Andreev and Gambian Jordy Danso. They are both younger than Krapyvtsov. About 100,000 was paid for Andreev in the summer. There will be no opportunity to play for the youth team.
The worst thing in this situation is that it is possible beer was taken simply for the quantity. There should be 4 goalkeepers in the first team at training.
The best option is to rent. Look for options now or in the summer: just play, adapt, gain experience. To then be ready to compete with Hassaniga and even replace him. It is necessary to take small steps to the status of the first number of “Girona”. It will be impossible to do it right away.
In reality, something can change for Krapyvtsov in the summer. Provided that he successfully performs at the World Youth Championship. If the Ukrainian national team can reach at least the semi-finals, and Vlad himself will hold a strong tournament, it will be a very serious push for his further career at the club level.
Sergey Tyshchenko
Source: sport.ua