Artem Bondarenko: "We are aware of what is at stake"

Ukraine's youth national team midfielder Artem Bondarenko spoke about preparations for the game against Romania at Euro 2023.

"The first thing that comes to mind is that it is very stuffy here and there are a lot of midges. These are the two main problems. The pitch is good, the balls are round. I think we are happy with everything. As I said, it was very, very hot. Now is the time for acclimatisation. I think it will be successful, and we are getting more and more used to the weather every day. I think it will be a little easier physically on the day of the game against Romania. It's supposed to be 36 degrees, but we'll try to get used to it.

It's true what they say, that you can't judge [Romania] by the match against Spain, because we understand the strength of this team. We are expecting a completely different match from Romania and are preparing for a very difficult game for us. The packed stadium gives them an advantage, but we still miss the fans. We are playing in the UPL without fans now, and any such football atmosphere gives us energy and motivation.

What work have you done on your mistakes and what will you do with the Romanians? I hope we will beat them. But with the Croats, we played more for the score in the second half - 2-0 on a psychological level gave us the opportunity to step back a little. I want to say that every game is important. We are aware of what is at stake in this match, but we try not to focus too much on it. We are just preparing for a normal game. A full stadium after the match against Spain... I'm sure the Romanians will be angry," Bondarenko said.