On Sunday, November 20, the 2022 World Cup kicks off in Qatar. Meanwhile, the championship of Ukraine does not stop - the teams are completing the autumn part of the tournament. Share expectations from the World Cup and impressions from UPL Footboom asked the ex-player of the Ukrainian national team, participant of the 2006 World Cup Oleg Shelaev.
- Due to such timing of the World Cup, some leading teams may be limited in personnel. In the course of a busy and busy season, there are already a lot of injured, plus the fatigue of football players, especially from the Champions League, the group stage of which was held on a tight schedule.
From my own experience, I can say that the World Cup is a special tournament in which players experience specific stresses. In addition, the participants of the World Cup approach it in a special mood, for some this is the first and, perhaps, the only such tournament in their careers, for some it is the last... The Mundial is a big fair.
— Is it easier to play at the World Cup in summer?
- Undoubtedly. But not because it is a common practice, but because of the specifics of the training. So far, I see a lot of problems for national teams, which, by the way, do not talk about it very much, not wanting to show their cards to their rivals. Before the 2006 World Cup, in which I participated, we first rested a little after the season, then held a training camp, during which the coach had the opportunity to play certain schemes, calmly decide on the composition. In this case, we also had the opportunity to prepare well and with concentration, because the dream of every footballer was ahead - the World Cup.
— Which teams will be the favorites for the 2022 World Cup?
- The circle of contenders for the trophy at the World Cup in Qatar is quite wide. Almost for the first time, it is very difficult to single out any one favorite. I think that five or six European teams and, of course, Brazil and Argentina will be able to fight for gold. It is possible that there will be two or three more teams at the tournament that will revive the process and, unexpectedly for many, will reach the decisive stages of the 2022 World Cup.
— At the moment, the Argentina national team is striking in its unbeaten streak. Its leader looks very good — already adapted to PSG Lionel Messi. Can Messi finally lead Argentina to the top of the world like Diego Maradona did?
- I do not consider the Argentines to be the obvious favorites. This team, as I have already noted, is in the circle of the main contenders for the trophy, but no more than that ... Now 8-10 teams, like stayers, lined up at the start, on the same line, and who will be the first to reach the finish line, no one can guess.
Of the European teams, Germany, Spain and France can go far. A very even class composition of the Netherlands, which is their trump card. Problematic now England and Portugal are able, it seems to me, through the efforts of bright stars in the squad, to even reach the semi-finals.
— Do you mean Cristiano Ronaldo, who will try to compensate for his problems at Manchester United with a successful game for the Portuguese national team?
- It is possible, although it is very difficult to imagine what Ronaldo is capable of now, we will see. It will be interesting. I think the Portuguese Rafael Leau can open up and become a real star at the 2022 World Cup. I have high expectations from the game of the Englishman Foden, from Frankie de Jong from the Netherlands national team, football, in the performance of which I really like. Of course, the 2022 World Cup can become a tournament named after Messi or Mbappe, whose performance expectations are simply sky-high.
But it will also be very interesting for me to watch the performance of such teams as the USA and Canada. These are promising teams that can pleasantly surprise everyone.
— From whom can you expect a sensation from the 2022 World Cup?
- From the Americans and Canadians I named, as well as from the teams from Africa. The African teams will not reach the quarter-finals and semi-finals, but they will make a vivid impression and, it is possible, will trip the favorites of the tournament.
It is also important that refereeing not become a sensation at the 2022 World Cup. I don’t want to repeat what happened at the world championship in 2002 - in Korea and Japan, when the host teams of the tournament pulled their ears for as long as possible. Now this is possible in Qatar. Of course, everything can be...
— The championship of Ukraine will not stop for the duration of the World Cup. What are your impressions of UPL matches now?
— There are positive and negative examples in the current Ukrainian championship. Let me start by saying that Dynamo Kyiv and Vorskla really disappointed with their performance. They are able to achieve more, but lose points out of the blue.
The leadership of Dnipro-1 is expected, as well as a successful start in the UPL of Zorya and Oleksandriya. Despite the departure of the Brazilians from Shakhtar, I assumed that the Pitmen would remain among the main contenders for gold. And so it happened. By the way, an interesting struggle is unfolding at the bottom of the standings. The UPL currently does not have a clear outsider, so fans will be able to watch the intense struggle of at least 5-6 teams.
Oleg Semenchenko