Dovbyk from the top to the brink of disgrace

With 24 goals for Girona, he not only won the Pichichi title - La Liga's top scorer, but also made history by taking the small Catalan team to the Champions League for the first time. At that time, Dovbyk was the conqueror, the spark that made all of Europe look back.

In the summer of 2024, AS Roma brought him back for more than 30 million euros, signing a contract until 2029. The Italian media at that time considered this a smart "stroke": Roma owned a killer in top form, with a new quality of Ukrainian football. But after only one season, the story took an unexpected turn.

Not a bad season, but not good enough

12 goals in 32 Serie A games - not bad for a rookie. But when juxtaposed with the brilliant 2023/24 La Liga season, a drop of almost 30% in efficiency immediately becomes a topic of discussion. At Girona, Dovbyk is at the centre of every ball, fully supported to do what he does best: score goals.

At Roma, the system is different. Under Daniele De Rossi, the team prioritizes possession, exploiting the flanks and requires the striker to participate more in coordination and movement outside the penalty area. For a striker who is more positional and finishing like Dovbyk, this inadvertently makes him less likely to “shoot”.

Dovbyk declined after moving to AS Roma.

In the summer of 2025, Roma appointed Gian Piero Gasperini - a coach who is synonymous with high-speed, intense pressing football that requires maximum mobility from the attack. His system leaves no room for strikers to stand around waiting for their chance; instead, each attacking player must move constantly, press aggressively and participate in opening up space.

With this “hunting” style of play, Dovbyk is clearly not the perfect choice. He is strong in positional sense and killer instinct, but not outstanding in pressing or high-speed ball handling when under pressure. Gasperini wants his strikers to act like pistons, while Dovbyk is more like a sniper rifle - accurate but needs time and space.

According to AS , Roma are willing to let Dovbyk go if they receive an offer of 30 million euros or more. This is a way for the club to preserve the value of their investment, while clearing the way for contracts that are more “suitable” to Gasperini. Girona still retains 10% of the profit from the resale deal, while a number of clubs in Spain, England and Turkey have expressed interest.

However, Roma's desired price - 35 to 38 million euros - will be a big barrier, especially when all teams know that this striker is not in their priority plans.

Fall from grace - a story of relevance, not just form

It is easy to blame the decline in form, but the real cause lies in tactical mismatch. Top-level football is where every detail determines success or failure: the same player, but in the right system, can shine brightly; in the wrong environment, all strengths become blurred.

Dovbyk is a prime example. He has not lost his scoring instinct, but the way Roma (and now Gasperini) play the game is no longer a “fertile ground” for him to score.

At 28, Dovbyk is at a major crossroads.

At 28, Dovbyk is at a crossroads. Either he accepts the challenge of adapting to a new philosophy, looking to prove he can do more than just score goals. Or he leaves, finding a team where his killer instinct can be fully exploited, as he did at Girona.

From the heights of the Pichichi to the threat of leaving the Olimpico after just one year, Dovbyk's story is a reminder that in football, yesterday's glory does not guarantee tomorrow's position. Only consistency and adaptability can keep a player at the top for a long time.

Source: https://znews.vn/dovbyk-tu-dinh-cao-den-bo-vuc-that-sung-post1574490.html