--- title: "\"Dynamo wanted me on trial, and Hajduk called it unseemly\": how two transfers of Maksym Bilyi fell through" description: "Former Shakhtar and Zorya defender Maksym Bilyi told Sport RBC.UA why his moves to Copenhagen and Dynamo Kyiv fell through: squad shortages at Hajduk and a dispute over trial formats." date: 2026-10-29T12:59:51.333Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/maksym-bilyi-failed-transfers-copenhagen-dynamo-hajduk tags: [football, transfer, hajduk-split, dynamo-kyiv, copenhagen, maxim-belyi, ukraine-football] author: "Dmitriy Shatolov" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # "Dynamo wanted me on trial, and Hajduk called it unseemly": how two transfers of Maksym Bilyi fell through ![Ukrainian footballer Maksym Bilyi smiling in a dark striped polo shirt with a club crest](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/29/maksim-belyi-sorvannye-transferi-kopengagen-dinamo-hajduk/maksim-belyi-sorvannye-transferi-kopengagen-dinamo-hajduk-1.webp) ## Key Points - Maksym Bilyi, 2009 U-19 European Champion, received offers from Copenhagen and Dynamo while playing for Hajduk, but both transfers did not happen - The move to Copenhagen collapsed due to the sale of Hajduk captain Goran Milović to China and the resulting shortage of central defenders - Dynamo wanted to invite Bilyi on trial, but Hajduk sporting director Mario Branco called this format unseemly for a club of their stature - Bilyi ultimately terminated his contract with Hajduk himself, making the decision out of emotion Former central defender of Shakhtar Donetsk, Zorya Luhansk, and Croatia's Hajduk, as well as 2009 U-19 European Champion Maksym Bilyi spoke in an interview with Sport RBC.UA about two transfer stories that could have dramatically changed the course of his career. According to the footballer, in the summer of 2015, shortly after moving to Split, he received offers from Denmark's Copenhagen and Dynamo Kyiv, but neither option materialized due to reasons Bilyi describes as a combination of squad limitations and bureaucratic disagreements. ### Four months in Split and shock at Copenhagen's offer In the summer of 2015, Bilyi left Zorya and signed a contract with Croatia's Hajduk. Adaptation was quick: the Ukrainian secured a spot in the starting lineup and became one of the key defensive players. About four months after moving to Split, Denmark's Copenhagen approached the player, expressing interest in signing him. "I was in shock: I played for Hajduk for four months and already got such an offer. I couldn't believe it," Bilyi recalls. However, the deal did not happen: Hajduk sold their captain and central defender Goran Milović to a Chinese club, leaving the coaching staff with only two players in that position. The Croatian club's management explained to Bilyi that they could not let him go amid such an acute shortage of personnel. ### Dynamo and the issue of prestige: why Kyiv failed to reach an agreement with Hajduk About six months after the incident with the Danish club, Dynamo Kyiv intervened. The capital club showed interest in the defender but initially suggested inviting him on trial—a standard procedure practiced by many major teams when evaluating candidates. By that time, Hajduk had changed its management: a new president, a new sporting director, and a new head coach. Sporting Director Mario Branco considered the negotiation format proposed by Dynamo unacceptable. As Bilyi recounts, the official stated: "Listen, such a serious club as Dynamo Kyiv wants to take you on trial? That's unseemly. Let them just send an offer—it's not about the price, let it just be proper and respectable." Ultimately, Hajduk refused to let the player go on trial, and Dynamo did not continue negotiations without this stage. The transfer fell through. ### Emotional contract termination The accumulated frustration from the two failed moves and the internal politics of the Croatian club led Bilyi to ask for his contract with Hajduk to be terminated. The footballer admits that this decision was made emotionally. Thus, both promising options—the Danish and the Kyiv ones—remained in the past, and the defender's career took a different path. ### Career context: from Shakhtar to Europe Maksym Bilyi is a product of the Donetsk football school, having gone through Shakhtar's academy and representing it at the youth level. In 2009, he joined the Ukraine national team that won the Under-19 European Championship. In his professional career, he played for Zorya and Hajduk, where, in his own words, he quickly found his footing and established himself in the starting lineup. The interview with Bilyi, published by Sport RBC.UA, became part of the publication's broader series of materials about footballers whose career trajectories were determined not only by sporting factors but also by administrative ones. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Чемпион Европы мог оказаться в "Динамо": что сорвало трансфер](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/chempion-evropi-mig-opinitisya-dinamo-shcho-1793278368.html) - Interview with Maksym Bilyi published by Sport RBC.UA. All quotes and facts (transfer to Hajduk in summer 2015, Copenhagen's offer 4 months later, Milović's sale to China, Dynamo's interest with a trial condition, Mario Branco's stance, contract termination) are presented as told by the footballer. No discrepancies with other sources were found. ## FAQ ### Who is Maksym Bilyi and what is he known for? Maksym Bilyi is a Ukrainian footballer, central defender, and 2009 U-19 European Champion. He played for Shakhtar Donetsk, Zorya Luhansk, and Croatia's Hajduk. ### Why did Bilyi's transfer to Copenhagen not happen? Hajduk sold their captain and central defender Goran Milović to a Chinese club, leaving only two players for that position. The Croatian club's management could not let Bilyi go due to staff shortages. ### Why did Dynamo fail to sign Bilyi? Dynamo Kyiv wanted to invite Bilyi on trial first, but Hajduk sporting director Mario Branco considered such a negotiation format unseemly for a club of that level and refused to let the player go. Dynamo did not continue negotiations without the trial stage. ### How did Bilyi's story with Hajduk end? Bilyi asked to terminate his contract with the Croatian club himself. According to him, the decision was made emotionally after two failed transfers.