Midfielder of Al Ain and the Ukrainian national team Andriy Yarmolenko spoke on the UAF Youtube channel about his arrival at the location of the national team before the League of Nations matches against Scotland and Armenia.
Andrey Yarmolenko. Photo: gettyimages.com— You came to the national team from the United Arab Emirates for the first time. How do you feel in this climate and how do you feel about returning to European latitudes?
“Of course, it’s not easy, because it’s very hot. It takes time to get used to. But it's okay, there are all the conditions for football there - good fields, good football. I am satisfied with my decision. And, of course, I missed the European weather, so now you can take a walk, get some fresh air. It is very hot in the UAE, you have to train at a temperature of +40, sometimes even more.
— Is it easier to breathe in Europe?
— Especially when you are closer to Ukraine.
- Three tough matches ahead.
- As always, I look at this with a positive attitude, because I know our players, I know our potential and I know what kind of football we can play. We are not afraid of anyone, we respect everyone and we know who we are playing for. Therefore, as always, I cannot say anything about the result, but I can promise our fans, all Ukrainians, that we will give all our strength and make sure that our fans are not ashamed of us. We will already see what the result will be, but I know that if you give all your strength in football, then the result will come later.
The last game with Scotland is already history. Now another tournament. We are preparing, as we do for all games, with the mood. When we all get together, when all the guys arrive, we will analyze the opponent, the head coach will tell us how we can win, how we need to play. Preparations continue, I'm glad to see all the guys, I miss everyone.
- There are losses - Shaparenko, Bushchan, Zinchenko and others. Does it make things difficult for us?
- Of course, these guys mean a lot to the national team, but injuries are such a thing that no one in football is immune from. We all wish the guys a speedy recovery, we are all waiting for them. But now we have to play without them. This will be a chance for other players to show the coaching staff that they are ready too. Of course, we will miss them, but this is football, and we need to prepare and think about how to play without them.
- The Armed Forces of Ukraine have almost liberated the Kharkiv region, there are serious advances in the Kherson region. When the national team plays, the whole society looks at the matches of our national team through the prism of our struggle.
— Of course, you follow the news to see if there are any positive moments. But you understand at what cost this positive news is given to us. You understand that many of our soldiers are dying. On the one hand, you rejoice that we are returning our villages, our cities, and on the other hand, many soldiers have died. So it's very ambivalent. I can say on behalf of all the guys and the staff of the national team that we are grateful to our defenders. If not for them, there would be nothing - no football, nothing. We are grateful for what they do for us, for our families, for protection.
We shouldn't say that it's hard for us, because it's really hard for our warriors, but I didn't see them say how hard it is or how tired they are. We don't have the right to do that either. We must give all our strength for our country and give people at least some joy so that they can take a break from all this for at least 90 minutes and be able to simply rejoice at the success of the national football team.
