Former "Dynamo" midfielder Serhiy Kovalets expressed his point of view regarding the latest results of the national and youth national teams of Ukraine.
Sergey Kovalets— Serhiy Ivanovich, why did the Ukrainian national team fail to win the necessary victory in the match against Scotland?
— I believe that our team was given the game from the point of view of player motivation, created moments. The implementation failed somewhere, because Andriy Yarmolenko's moment, Artem Dovbyk's face-to-face performance is one of those that we should implement.
We observed something similar in the match with Wales, when the national team also, having the advantage, could not solve the task of entering the World Cup.
— Was it too late for the coaching staff to make substitutions in this match?
— The coaches have information about the physical and psychological state of the players, make decisions on the starting line-up, game load, and the strategy. At the same time, they are responsible for the result.
— In view of the fact that the necessary result was not achieved, perhaps it was not worth postponing the championship round?
— It is important that all conditions were created for the national team. Unfortunately, we could not play at home, in Ukraine. I have no doubt that if the game with Scotland had taken place in Lviv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro or Kyiv, we would have definitely beaten Scotland and qualified for League A. But we also had good support in Poland, we should have won, unfortunately, the result was not the same , as you would like.
— League B of the League of Nations is this our level for now?
— I believe that among the teams of group B, the national team of Ukraine stands out in terms of the class of players and the way they play. Andrii Shevchenko's coaching staff did a great job in this direction. Talking with the players of the national team, they said that under Shevchenko they felt in good shape, they felt like a top team.
The organization of the training process, moving, everyday moments - everything was on a level. This is very important, because the national team is the 25 best players, for whom better conditions should be created. The successful performance of the national team is the calling card of the country in the whole world. Especially now, when our country is supported by the entire civilized world, every victory at the international level is important to us.
— Oleksandr Petrakov's contract in the national team is expiring...
— From the very beginning, when the UAF executive committee appointed the head coach, I was in favor of Myron Markevich's candidacy.
- What's next?
— Selection of the head coach is the prerogative of the UAF Executive Committee. But I think, first of all, it is important to conduct a comprehensive analysis, and this applies not only to failures. After the performances of the national team during the coaching staff of Andrii Shevchenko, when we got into the eight best teams of the continent, for some reason no conclusions were drawn: what was successful, what was not, where are the problems, where should we go... The heads of the association have time to make a balanced and reasoned decision. I would like to make the analysis and development strategy available to the fans as well.
— A possible change of coach and the fact that some leaders have reached a critical age — Stepanenko, Yarmolenko — indicate that the national team is in for a significant restructuring?
— Personnel decisions depend on the head coach. But I believe that Stepanenko and Yaromolenko are needed by the national team and can continue to play at a high level. The practice of the world's leading teams shows that it is important to have a balance between young and experienced players. Look at Modric, without whom it is difficult to imagine Real Madrid and the Croatian national team.
Experienced football players can help young players in the formation of psychology, confidence, show an example of attitude to work. But I repeat, the decision will be made by the head coach.
— The youth national team made its way to Euro-2023, demonstrating a productive game and confidently defeating peers from Slovakia. Despite the fact that relatively recently there was a lot of criticism of Ruslan Rotany's address...
— I remember when Myron Markevich headed the committee of the national teams, it was he who supported Rotan when many criticized the young coach. Myron Bogdanovych noted that the youngster is on the right path - trying to control the ball, play combination football. He insisted that time is needed, it is necessary to allow the selection cycle to be finalized, after which conclusions can be drawn.
Now there is a result and our team has made it to the European Youth Championship for the third time in the history of independence. This is definitely a historic event.
— Are we lucky with our opponent, because Slovakia is not one of the top football countries?
— I would not say that the youth of Slovakia is weak, because football players mostly have game practice in adult football. Even if we take the first half, it went according to the Slovak script, but after the break, as our coach said, we managed to achieve victory due to character. But I would also note team actions, the national team tried to control the ball and play constructive football.
— Young Rotanya plays the same football as the national team under Andriy Shevchenko...
— It is very good when national team coaches build communication. At that time, the teams of Shevchenko and Rotan even held joint training sessions, and this is a very important aspect.
A big advantage of our team at the moment is that the main players of the youth team have game practice in their teams, which was not the case before. And Bondarenko, Sudakov, Trubin gain experience in the Champions League.
— The basis of the youth national team is made up of students from one club, Shakhtar. Does it make it easier?
- This is one of the main points of success. It is worth mentioning the Spanish national team of 2008-2012, when it won the European Championship twice and became the world champion. At that time, the players of two clubs - "Barcelona" and "Real" - were the basis. Puyol, Busquets, Pique, Xavi, Iniesta, Sergio Ramos, Casillas... It is important when there is a match, it is also important that many players have come through all age categories of the youth national teams.
— What are the prospects of the youth team among the 16 best national teams at the European Championship, which will take place next summer?
— The outlook is good. The national team can play at a high level, there are good football players, there is a game, there is a set game, there is experience of playing in international tournaments. It is important to properly prepare psychologically. Now there will be many agents who will start selling players to other clubs, and this can become a regressive factor. I believe that the coaches will cope with the challenges and prepare the national team as best as possible for the European forum.
But for now, the most important thing is the end of the war, and for our national teams to be able to return and play in Ukraine.
Serhii SITNYK
