Six days have passed since the players of our national team got together to prepare for the match against England. This time was enough for the teams not only to receive positive emotions after a six-month break in playing for the main football team of the country, but also to properly train together. Oleksandr Karavaev, one of the old-timers of the Ukrainian national team, spoke about busy working days during his stay in Foggy Albion.
— Six months have passed since the previous mini-gathering of the national team. Did you manage to miss each other? - this question started a conversation with a representative of Dynamo in the main team.
- Yes, sure. Whenever we come to the national team gathering, everyone is happy to see each other. On the first day, we are definitely going to sit and talk with the guys. Everyone has something to tell for the period of time during which we have not seen each other for so long.
- For more than one year, you, like several other players, had to play side by side with the current acting head coach of the Ukrainian national team Ruslan Rotan. Did the news that it was he who was entrusted to lead the national team in the near future come as a surprise to you?
- The only surprise was that at the moment our head coach is the head coach of three teams. And with the vision of football that the coaching staff has, this did not come as a surprise, because the approach to business is at a high level.
- Over the time that has passed on English soil, have you already gotten used to the fact that Rotan should now be addressed by name and patronymic?
- I got used to it for a long time - even after Ruslan Petrovich began his coaching career. We repeatedly crossed paths at stadiums, training sessions or games, and even then I addressed him by his patronymic. The coach should always be treated with respect.
- What new things did you discover in Rotana-coach?
— I saw a great desire to develop and inspire confidence in the players. If you do everything right and make the settings, you can achieve a lot.
- You played in the national team under the guidance of three coaches - Mikhail Fomenko, Andriy Shevchenko and Alexander Petrakov. Have you decided which of them's game model is similar to Ruslan Rotan's?
- Each coach has his own vision, but in some moments there is a similarity with the views of Andrey Nikolayevich.
- Did the coaching staff of the national team satisfy the sparring with Brentford?
- When we analyzed our game, we were shown moments that the coaching staff liked. Of course, we work very little, but everything is quite understandable. We try to fulfill everything that is required of us.
- Has the return of Evgeny Konoplyanka to the national team increased the positive atmosphere in the team?
- Yevgeny was the leader of the national team for many years and his return to the squad, of course, has a positive effect. Both for the team and for himself.
- Who, apart from Konoplyanka and Oleksandr Zinchenko, can also count on the role of a joker in the national team?
— Many people can joke. For example, Georgy Bushchan copes with this task very skillfully. Now we miss him - both on the football field and in everyday life.
— Is your Dynamo partner Vitaliy Buyalsky, who received a call after a long break, now working with redoubled energy?
— Vitaliy always works to the maximum, regardless of whether it is a club or a national team.
- Did the initiation into the newcomers of the national team take place this time?
- No, it was not. Not until then, because there is little time. It should be given maximum preparation.
- It is known that five players from the England national team - goalkeeper Nick Pope, defenders Reece James, Luke Shaw, midfielder Mason Mount and striker Marcus Rashford - will not be able to play in the Sunday match at Wembley for various reasons. Was this factor taken into account in theoretical classes?
— We are focusing more on our game. Although, of course, we also analyze our opponent: how he plays and how we should play against him.
- England is one of the favorites in the qualifying group. However, as practice shows, our team comes out with a special attitude against such teams.
— Yes, there are always favorites in groups. But we have a very strong team, very strong performers playing in the top championships. This shows the growth in the level of our team if our players are invited to top clubs and the strongest championships.
- Did you manage to watch the opening match of the English in the Euro 2024 qualifying round with Italy in full?
- Almost completely, because we were driving after training and watching on the bus. And they were already inspecting at the hotel.
- Based on the match in Italy, were the weak points in the game scheme of Gareth Southgate's team determined?
- Everything was sorted out on theories. The coaches told us everything, showed us, and explained how we can and should play. We will build on this in the Sunday match at Wembley.
- Does our team feel the support of Ukrainian citizens in England every day? What do you think about at such moments?
- I feel great pride for our people, because we are all on the side of truth and goodness. Thank you very much for supporting us at a difficult time for our country and all its citizens.
— How many times have you been to England before?
- It's my first time in England. Prior to that, he was in neighboring Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. So it's nice that I finally visited the country that is the ancestor of football.
- Will you have personal fans at the match in London?
- No, there will definitely not be personal ones. However, relatives asked to “make” tickets for their friends, and friends, in turn, asked to make tickets for their friends (smiles). Therefore, I already know them. So I know for sure that there will be very strong support from our fans at Wembley.
Vyacheslav Kulchitsky