On 2 July, the Ukrainian national youth team defeated France 3-1 in the quarter-final match of Euro 2023 (U-21), not only winning a ticket to the semi-finals, but also for the first time in history winning the right for our country to play in the Olympic football tournament.
Photo: gettyimages.comIn this regard, the Ukrainian Football Association receives inquiries from the media about who will coach the national team during the 2024 Summer Olympics in France.
We remind you that on 22 December 2022, a meeting of the UAF Executive Committee was held, which, among other things, considered personnel issues.
In particular, then, given the successful completion of the tournament tasks and having considered the proposal of the UAF National Teams Committee, the Executive Committee approved the decision to extend the contract with the head coach of the U-21 youth team Ruslan Rotan. The minutes of the meeting also stated: "In case of a successful performance at Euro 2023, namely, obtaining an Olympic licence, the contract provides for the option of automatic extension until the end of the 2024 Olympics, where European representation will be determined during Euro 2023."
Thus, after the Euro 2023 (U-21) cycle is over, the Ukrainian youth national team (players born in 2000 and younger) will acquire Olympic status, prepare for the 2024 Olympics and play under Ruslan Rotan's leadership. However, according to the regulations, players born after 1 January 2001 can take part in the Games tournament. Each team can only include three players older than this age in the 18-player roster.
Instead, the next cycle of the continent's youth championship, Euro 2025 (U-21), in the qualification of which our rivals are England, Serbia, Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan and Luxembourg, will be started in September 2023 by a new youth national team of Ukraine (players born in 2002 and younger) under the leadership of a new coaching staff.
