Former defender of the Ukrainian national team Artem Fedetsky told what he expects from the opening match of the Ukrainian national team in the Euro 2024 qualifying round against the England team, which will be held next Sunday, March 26 in London.
Artem Fedetsky— I remember the match with the English more than a decade ago, when Konoplyanka scored a crazy goal on the opponent's field. He is still before my eyes, - Fedetskiy says. - Then the Ukrainian team played a draw, 1:1.
The stadiums in England usually have a great football atmosphere, and I am sure that the 90,000-strong Wembley during the match with Ukraine will be filled to capacity. Most of our guys have not played in such an atmosphere for a long time, so it will be very interesting to test yourself in a duel with such a top team as the England national team.
I will not evaluate the current capabilities of our teams playing in the Ukrainian championship, as well as talk about its present, but our national team has players who play at a fairly high level in the leading football countries in Europe - Zinchenko, Mykolenko, Malinovsky. Playing in the top championships, they all always play in cool stadiums with a crazy atmosphere. These are the leaders who at this stage must lead their teammates.
- Do you think that Ruslan Rotan's involvement in three positions at once will not accidentally affect with a minus sign?
“Now you can sort through a lot of opinions on this matter in your head, thinking whether this is a plus or a minus. However, be that as it may, for football history, the combination of the work of the mentor of the national team, the youth team and Oleksandriya is truly a unique case. But, given that Rotan showed a great result with the youth team, he had a lot of criticism. Although it should be borne in mind that he led this team at the very beginning of his coaching career.
But knowing Ruslan Petrovich well, I can say: he is a maximalist. In addition, he is quite calm and balanced, who treats haters with a smile. Therefore, knowing his ambitions, this is not surprising to me.
Although recently in the press I had to read a lot the opinions of our "couch" experts, who constantly resort to criticism and who always have something "wrong". And now, such comments cannot be dispensed with: they say, how is it that the same coach works in three teams? In this situation, it seems to me that Rotan, on the contrary, needs support. Circumstances have developed as they have developed - and it should be understood that this is how it is necessary at this stage. Moreover, there is already a preliminary agreement with the next helmsman of the national team - Sergey Rebrov, who must work out his contract at Al Ain to the end - and only after that he will lead the Ukrainian team on a full basis. I think everyone in football Ukraine is well aware of this.
If we talk about Ruslan Rotan, he also played side by side with many current players of the national team, so he knows the capabilities of each of them well. In addition, he has a modern vision of football, and he improves his knowledge and studies. In Europe, the coach behaves almost on an equal footing with the players - and this is how it should be. This allows the players to feel more relaxed, and then reveal themselves to the maximum.
It is clear that at the end of this week, the Ukrainian national team will have a serious qualifying exam - the opening game against England, but I am sure that Ruslan Petrovich will use all his football experience and do his best in an effort to achieve a positive result. Even when he was a player, he always helped his teammates - both on and off the field. Personally, I believe in Rotan.
- How optimal is the current list of players of the Ukrainian national team? Did Rotan miss anyone out of sight?
- I think that at the moment he called the best to the national team. Everyone who was on the list of those called up for the game with England is the best option. It is clear that someone, for certain reasons - due to injuries or injuries requiring treatment, could not come. The same players who are in the clip of the coaching staff of the national team show a more or less stable game. Perhaps some players have recessions (we will not switch to last names), but Ruslan Rotan trusts them. And trust can play a huge role. I can say this from my football experience. When the coach trusts you, you are ready to move mountains.
- At the beginning of our conversation, you mentioned the handsome goal of Yevgeny Konoplyanka against England. Given that this player has not played for the national team for a long time, the question arises: was it not for the sake of repeating that small football feat in the fall of 2012 that another participant in that duel, Ruslan Rotan, called him up?
— (Without thinking). Everything is possible. In football, such deja vu happens, so I do not rule it out. Knowing Zhenya and his abilities, one can only regret that due to an unpleasant period for him, he was not involved in the main team of the country for some time. This was hampered by frequent injuries that did not allow him to play at full strength and show his best qualities. We all understand that this happens in a professional career: everyone has both ups and downs. In addition, age must also be taken into account.
However, in this case, the considerable experience gained by Konoplyanka (and besides Dnipro, he played in the championships of Spain, Germany and Poland) and personal contact with Rotan can benefit our team. Although there were skeptics who claimed that Eugene's train had already left.
In this case, it should be stated: our people are so hot that sometimes they like to cut to the root. But I would not rush to conclusions and would advise these skeptics to wait. Having appeared in the national team, Konoplyanka will train for several days and Rotan will be able to see what condition he is in. I am sure that at least for one half Evgeny can show a great game. I think that Ruslan Petrovich knows something.
Moreover, Wembley should be a good irritant for Konoplyanka. If he enters the field, he will remember the pleasant emotions when he managed to remove the web from the far "nine". It will be cool if Zhenya repeats the then achievement. And even if not in the "nine", but simply score a goal against the England team. Although I don’t think that he will play from the first minutes. But if he comes on as a substitute, then he will have the opportunity to show who Yevhen Konoplyanka really is.
- There is no doubt that on Sunday there will be many Ukrainians among the spectators at Wembley stands, in particular, from a cohort of emigrants and refugees. And the British themselves, in such a difficult wartime for our country, treat Ukraine with sympathy...
- One hundred percent! I am sure that the English football team will at least applaud our team. Perhaps, before the match, Ukrainian flags will flutter at the stadium or there will be some kind of performance. Knowing our relations with Great Britain and with almost all European countries that support Ukraine in every possible way (except for the frightened leader of Hungary Orban, who has a pro-Russian position), I am sure that our team will feel a truly warm welcome at Wembley. It is clear that English fans will support their national team, but their sympathy for the Ukrainian team is guaranteed.
- Among them, presumably, there should be a great friend of Ukraine, a well-known British statesman Boris Johnson...
- It can be chilly in London on Sunday, so the main thing is that Borya Johnsonyuk should not forget to put on the Ukrzaliznytsia branded hat, which he has after a recent visit to Ukraine (smiling). But seriously, he's a pretty cool guy. I understand what a high level this person is in the UK.
However, despite serious positions, it is important how people show themselves in society. Johnson is an affable, sincere and friendly person, not much different from an ordinary Englishman. People like him evoke insane sympathy and attract to them in absolutely everything. Simplicity, honesty and decency - this is how Vladimir Zelensky described him. I remember my dad always told me:Son, no matter how high you would rise in football, always remain a man". These words have become an axiom for me for life. I believe that our (and we can safely talk about this belonging) Boris Johnsonyuk is just such a person. It seems to me that in the Sunday match, his fan ratio will be 55 to 45 percent. Of course, he will support the England national team with his heart, and Ukraine with his soul.
Vyacheslav Kulchitsky
