--- title: "\"Fate brought me there, and it wasn't a mistake\": Srna revealed how he could have ended up at Dynamo" description: "In an interview with Dmytro Gordon, Dario Srna revealed that Kyiv's Dynamo, under Ihor Surkis, showed personal interest in him, but Shakhtar's financial terms proved decisive." date: 2026-09-03T10:08:03.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/srna-revealed-how-he-could-have-ended-up-at-dynamo tags: [dario-srna, shakhtar-donetsk, dynamo-kyiv, igor-surkis, ukrainian-football, interview] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # "Fate brought me there, and it wasn't a mistake": Srna revealed how he could have ended up at Dynamo ![Srna by a trophy display talks about his possible move to Dynamo](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/03/srna-rasskazal-kak-mog-okazatsya-v-dinamo/srna-rasskazal-kak-mog-okazatsya-v-dinamo-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Srna admitted that Kyiv's Dynamo and Ihor Surkis personally showed interest in him. - Shakhtar's financial terms were decisive against the backdrop of difficult family circumstances after the war in the Balkans. - Instead of the planned 1–2 years, Srna played for Shakhtar for 15 years — 536 matches, 26 trophies. Dario Srna, sporting director of Donetsk's Shakhtar, revealed a little-known detail of his career in an interview with Dmytro Gordon, as cited by Sport RBC.UA: the Croatian defender could have joined the squad of Kyiv's Dynamo. According to Srna, the president of the Kyiv club personally showed interest in him, but in the end fate led him to Donetsk, where he spent a decade and a half. This story has become one of the most surprising confessions in the recent history of Ukrainian football. ### Dynamo's interest: from agent to Surkis Srna explained that he first learned about the Kyiv side's attention from his own agent, and the fact of their interest was then confirmed personally by Ihor Surkis. "Dynamo's interest? I heard about it, my agent told me. But Surkis himself once said that he wanted me. But fate brought me there, and it wasn't a mistake," Sport RBC.UA quotes the footballer. Thus, a move to the Kyiv club was considered seriously and at the management level, not just at the level of rumors. ### Financial specifics from Donetsk According to the Croatian, the decisive factor in his choice was the financial details and the specific offer from the Donetsk side. At that time, Srna's family was going through difficult times after the war in the Balkans: the house was destroyed, the car was stolen, and the family was burdened with debts. It was the financial stability and clear conditions offered by Shakhtar that tipped the player in favor of the Donetsk club rather than Kyiv's Dynamo. ### A one-to-two-year plan and fifteen years of reality Initially, Srna planned to spend only one or two years in Donetsk, but in the end he played for the "miners" for fifteen seasons. During this time he made 536 appearances for the team, wearing the captain's armband in 330 of them, becoming one of the most decorated and recognizable players in the club's history. ### 26 trophies and the pride of the captain In Shakhtar's colors, Dario Srna won 26 trophies, including the UEFA Cup, ten Ukrainian championship titles, seven domestic cups, and eight Ukrainian Super Cups. These figures underscore just how fortunate the choice made at that difficult moment for his family turned out to be for the Croatian's career. Earlier, Sport RBC.UA also reported that Srna told how he saved Cristiano Ronaldo in Kyiv, which once again reminded fans of his connection to Ukrainian football. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Surkis wanted to sign him: Shakhtar legend revealed how he could have ended up at Dynamo](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/hotiv-zabrati-surkis-legenda-shahtarya-rozpoviv-1788429927.html) - Первичный источник: интервью Срны Гордону, цитата о Суркисе и агенте, финансовые мотивы, 536 матчей и 26 трофеев. - [Sensational detail: Srna spoke candidly about Kyiv Dynamo's offer](https://www.ua-football.com/ukrainian/high/1788379502-sensacionnaya-detal-srna-otkrovenno-rasskazal-o-predlozhenii-kievskogo-dinamo.html) - Подтверждает факт рассказа Срны о предложении «Динамо» и интересе Суркиса. - [Dario Srna: "After Dynamo, people said everything was going badly for us"](https://www.ua-football.com/ukrainian/high/1305008507-dario-srna-posle-dinamo-govorili-chto-vso-u-nas-ploho.html) - Подтверждает факт рассказа Срны о предложении «Динамо» и интересе Суркиса. - [Dario Srna: "Kyiv's Dynamo was no less worthy of European competition than Inter or Rubin"](https://www.sports.ru/football/55787396.html) - Контекстный источник о отношении Срны к «Динамо»; не противоречит основному материалу. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who showed interest in Srna from Dynamo's side? **A:** According to Srna, he was first told about Dynamo's interest by his agent, and then it was personally confirmed by the club's president, Ihor Surkis. ### Q: Why did Srna choose Shakhtar over Dynamo? **A:** The financial details and the specific offer from the Donetsk side were decisive: at that moment Srna's family was going through a difficult period after the war in the Balkans — a destroyed house, a stolen car, and debts. ### Q: How many years did Srna play for Shakhtar? **A:** Instead of the planned one or two years, he spent 15 years at the club, making 536 appearances, captaining the team in 330 of them, and winning 26 trophies.