Press conference. Ruslan Rotan: "The match at Wembley is a match for our entire country." This is a match for our fighters"

The coach of the Ukrainian national team, Ruslan Rotan, spoke with media representatives on the eve of the first match of the Euro-2024 qualifying campaign against the England team.

— Mykhailo Mudryk is still finding it difficult to play in Chelsea. Is he motivated to play for the national team of Ukraine now?

- Mykhailo is a great talent, and he will show all the potential he has in the future. I am sure that in a few months, Mudryk will be among the key players of the Premier League. He is a very good player and very motivated, very keen to play at Wembley. We should value and trust such players. They should feel that they are important footballers for the national team. This is the motivation that should give him confidence for his future performances at Chelsea.

— How does your team feel at the start of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign? What will it mean for the national team of Ukraine to play a match at Wembley?

— The match at Wembley is a match not only for our players and coaches, but also for the whole country. I want to thank and say a huge thank you to all the British people for the support you give us. We are waging war against the enemy. Your support is very important to us, we are very grateful to you.

This is a match for our fighters who protect us. What is happening now in Ukraine is very scary. We must first of all be motivated and please them with a good result. It is necessary to give positive emotions to our people, which are currently lacking.

— Do you count on support at the stadium from Ukrainian fans living in Great Britain?

— Of course, we count on them a lot. Any support is very important to us. The match at Wembley will have a friendly atmosphere, but there will be a big fight on the field itself. Both football and fans benefit from this.

— You work with players who have experience in the English Premier League. How difficult is it for you to create a good atmosphere in the team, given the events that are happening now in Ukraine?

— Our guys — Zinchenko, Yarmolenko, Zabarny, Mykolenko — they are very professional and emotional people. They have always supported and continue to support Ukraine in all aspects. They are highly motivated. These guys are the leaders of our national team and an example for others. We should have as many such players as possible. I hope that in the future there will be even more football players from the Premier League in the national team.

— Zinchenko is now showing the best football of his career. How much can it help your team?

— Indeed, Zinchenko's intelligence is the main progress of our team. Football is better when there are players of Zinchenko's level. I always liked such football players. Thanks to them, football develops and becomes better and more diverse.

— Is it likely that you will try Mykhailo Mudryk in the center forward position, given Dovbyk's recent injury and Yaremchuk's lackluster form?

— I think this question will be answered closer to the game with England. Tomorrow we have a friendly game with Brentford. We need to look at the state of the players, their understanding of the game. Let's draw conclusions and prepare for the match with England. But anything can happen, I think Mykhailo can play in this position.

— Tell us about the condition of the players, are they all healthy? What is the situation with Hemp?

— Today, Zabarny is injured and will not be able to play at Wembley. Andriy Yarmolenko is injured, he is not training in the general group, but there is still time before the match. Maybe Andriy will be ready. Sydorchuk and Tsygankov have a slight cold, but I think everything will be fine.

As for Konopli, after the match with Feyenoord he called and said he had a problem. He reported that he could not work at 100%. I gave him time to talk to the doctors and decide if he is ready for the match. I said I would accept whatever he decided. Konoplya called me back and said that he wanted to take advantage of this break and return to matches for Shakhtar. I said, "No problem." We summoned Miroshnichenko.

— This is your first match as the head coach of the national team. The difficult conditions in which our country is now, the psychological state of the players, logistics. Given all the difficult circumstances, does this additional responsibility motivate your team?

- Indeed, it is not easy. However, in reality, it is not easy for our soldiers on the front lines. And the fact that it's difficult for the players to recover, to get there... We have to be ready for the match and be 100% motivated, because I think we're going to play a top-5 team in the world. This is an important match for us, we need to put everything aside, be focused on the game, because we must give our country emotions that will lift it up in this difficult time.

— You mentioned Ukrainian fighters on the front lines. Accordingly, the national team of Ukraine will go to the football match. At the same time, friendly matches of the aggressor country fall on the same dates. What do you think about those who agreed to play with her?

— Those countries that agree to play with the aggressor country support what it is doing in Ukraine. The best thing we can do is to ignore her and those who play with her. They don't deserve to be talked about. Those countries that respect international norms, primarily people, deserve attention. For this, it is necessary to talk, and to reject who Russia is playing there, not even to mention them.

— 1,000 tickets for the match were given to Ukrainian refugees. How do you feel about such a decision?

— This is a very correct step that unites our states. It shows your attitude towards our country. A huge thank you to your people, the country, for the fact that you support Ukraine, the Ukrainian people, and Ukrainian football at all levels.