Jozsef Sabo, the former coach of Dynamo and the Ukrainian national team, shared his thoughts about the situation around the main team of the country.
Jozsef Szabo- The situation when the national team is without a head coach, and Ruslan Rotan combines his work in the "youth" team and "Aleksandria" with his duties in the national team is not normal. And you can not write it all off on the war. Ukraine should not give up on the European Championship. It is clear that psychologically it is hard for everyone, but the work must be done.
As far as I know, this is the first time in the history of Ukrainian soccer, when one coach is in charge of three teams at once. If I had been offered such a job, I would have refused. Ruslan Rotan in the Youth team and in Alexandria has to do something, it is obvious. How can one find time for it, when the same first team had to write the training plan until April 20, given the match with England on April 26... Of course, there are players in the national team, who do not need to be coached for those 5-6 days, because they are toned up, but the Ukrainian team had no game, and it's a shame, because we are not Luxembourg or Andorra.
- Should everyone wait for Sergey Rebrov, who is supposed to lead the Ukraine national team later?
- I think very highly of Rebrov. He is very hardworking and, in general, just a smart guy. But if he can`t do that, then what are we talking about? I'm sure if the club will offer him to prolong his partnership, he will agree. Sergiy understands that there is no national team now and it takes time to put things in order. In addition, Rebrov never gave anyone a hundred percent promise, saying that everyone is going...
- Then, according to you, who will agree to lead the Ukraine national team for six months, in such a situation as now?
- I do not want to name specific names, but we have specialists, who have already worked as a soccer player and a coach. I think that such specialists would agree to work with the national team, but I think they need to be offered a contract not for six months, but at least for two or three years and to assure them that they will be able to implement their ideas to the end, no matter what. But we need to talk to people!
- Oleg Kuznetsov, for example, who is currently working with the Ukraine youth national team, could become the head of the Bilo-Syni?
- It is difficult to switch from working with youth to the national team. Remember Petrakov who agreed to do it. I said then that this was the wrong decision, and there would be no result, and, as it turned out, I was right. Petrakov literally from the first days of his work failed to get along with Malinovskyy, and then with some other players. And that was a problem. Therefore, this option is a significant risk.
- The Ukraine national football team needs rejuvenation already now?
- Young people need to be gradually adapted to the team - this has always been the case and it is the most reasonable option. In any team, especially in the national team, you need very experienced players who are, in fact, coaches on the field. You just need to call up veterans with character. For example, Stepanenko is the best holding midfielder in Ukrainian soccer and Shakhtar's captain.
Our midfield requires no major rejuvenation as there are very good performers. But the team manager should avoid a situation like with Konoplyanka during the game against England. To let him out for one minute is a shame. Why do it? If Konoplyanka`s call up is the strategy for the result, then he has to play for at least 15-20 minutes. That's why I say - the future coach of the Ukraine national team should be signed a contract for three years - until the summer of 2026, with the possibility to make the selection in peace.
- Given that in our qualifying group there are such opponents as England and Italy, what can our national team rely on?
- The fact that we lost away to England is not terrible. All struggle is still ahead, but I think few doubt that England and Italy will fight for the first two places in the group. Ukraine will be able to fight for the third place. With reasonable preparation for the June qualifying matches we have a chance to take the maximum and leave Northern Macedonia and Malta behind. Of course, if we don't have any emergencies caused by the war, the Ukrainians could take on Italy which is going through serious revamping.
Oleg Semenchenko
