Former forward of Kyiv Dynamo Viktor Leonenko told what he thinks about the list of players called up to the Ukraine national team for the opening match of the qualifying round of Euro 2024 - with England to take place on March 26 in London.
Victor Leonenko- Golovko recommended Matvienko and Bondar to the national team. I looked and, in fact, we have only Zabarnyy among central defenders. Everyone else are flank defenders: Sobol, Mikolenko, Karavaev.
- Maybe you should have called Rakitskiy?
- What the (bleep) Rakitskiy?! He can only play in our league, you can put anyone there. It's about the same way as in Arsenal blond Zinchenko plays - he occupied the opponents' penalty area and gives only one serve.
- Yet, Rotan called Konoplyanka. Your opinion on it?
- I propose to add Seleznyov and Shevchuk, for more experience. This is ridiculous. The question is: will Konoplyanka play or not? If not, then why the fuck do you need him? And if Rotan has taken a player whose selection was criticized, then by all means, we need to put him in.
They don`t get in the team, they take him, that`s why our team is so worthless and we`re beaten by a golfer Bale. My opinion is that neither Rotan, nor Konoplyanka should be in the National team.
They are making a "messiah" out of Rotan. What kind of messiah is he? He played two draws with Oleksandriia, he did not even get four points. He missed three goals from strange team "Edmar-Holodyuk" (referring to Metalist 1925, 3:3 draw - Ed.)
They took Rotany like a pig in a poke. I understood that the authorities interfered in the matter, because the president [Zelensky] was pushing Shevchenko to be the head of the UAF, and he has a good relationship with Rebrov and Rotan.
- Well, and on the strikers. Rotan put Dovbik and Yaremchuk on the main list.
- We so far haven't had any strikers. Yaremchuk can either play or not. I have already forgotten when he scored last time.
- We have Sican on the reserve list of strikers.
- He's been among the prospects for four years now. Sican started the season with three hat tricks, but where is he now? I do not know where I will hide if we beat England by chance. Rotanyu should immediately be given a monument, as they do in our country.
- Maybe it was worth bringing Besedin back, he has some experience as a national team player?
- As I understand it now, you can take anyone to the National team, even someone from the street. I'm sure Besedin won't score, but at least he'll work hard on the field, run everywhere. You can also bring Bezus in, so Besedin would not be bored.
Andrii Piskun
