Ukraine's defender Vitalii Mykolenko analyses the Blue and Yellows' performances in the 2024 European Championship qualifying campaign on the pages of today's official programme, compares the upcoming game with Italy to the crucial confrontation with the Portuguese in the Euro 2020 qualifiers, and expresses confidence that a packed-out BayArena will drive the team to victory over the top opponent.
Vitaliy Mykolenko (photo: gettyimages.com)- Vitalii, the Ukrainian national team will play a decisive match in the 2024 European Championship qualifying round, which the Blue and Yellows are playing at a very decent level. In fact, before the final game, everything depends on our team. Will it be able to compete in the continental championship?
- We are still in the game. This is the most important thing for us. At the previous training camp, we had a conversation with the head coach, and he said that when our group was drawn, no one even expected us to fight for Euro 2024 until the last match. I think that if we are in the game until the last match, and everything is in our hands, then we have performed quite well in the previous seven matches.
- Has the Ukrainian national team become stronger since the first meeting with the Italian team ?
- Only the game will show that. I can only say that we played the second match at the training camp, the second match against the top team. It was difficult not so much physically as mentally. In addition, we played at the San Siro. We try to give our best in every game. We didn't walk the walk with the Italians either, and the statistics show that. But when you play the second match at this level, it's a bit difficult.
- Now the Italian team will play the second match in a row. Do you think this is an advantage for the blue and yellows?
- I think so. But this advantage is on paper. Let's see how things turn out on the football pitch.
- What was your impression of the Italian national team in the September match, taking into account their game plan and tactics for the match?
- The Italians attacked our areas very aggressively and with a large number of players. When they did this, they created space on the flanks, so they could accelerate their attacks more easily. This is if we talk about the game from my position.
- How do you assess our squad ahead of the clash with the Apennines ?
- Some important players cannot help our team. Captain Andrii Yarmolenko is recovering from an injury, and Serhii Kryvtsov is not in the team. And so... Everyone is in the season, almost everyone has regular game practice. It's very important when a player plays and comes to the national team with game practice.
- Unfortunately, the Ukrainian national team doesn't have as big a selection of players as the Italians. But it seems that the guys who are currently in training can create a strike force. Isn't that right?
- The head coach selected and called up the players for the team. In his opinion, these are the best Ukrainian players. I can't comment on that. We will do our best to achieve the required result.
- Before our first meeting with the Italian national team, there was a change of coach - Roberto Mancini replaced Luciano Spalletti. Can such coaching rotations have an effect during long tournament campaigns?
- Basically, it does have an effect. You play the first matches under the leadership of new coaches with stronger emotions.
- Has the Italian team led by Spalletti changed in any way compared to what it was under Mancini?
- To be honest, I hadn't watched the Italians before our September meeting. I don't often have time to just watch football. Of course, if I'm preparing for a game, I watch the opponents. Sometimes I can also watch the Champions League.
- You know English football better, you play in it. Apparently, before leaving for the national team, you talked to your Everton teammates. What do they think of Ukraine's chances in this group?
- For me, it's already good that the guys know who we are playing and what our situation in the group is. They said that this match is like a final. And everything happens in the final, every team can win.
- The Ukrainian national team has played a lot of top teams. The Ukrainians, for example, defeated the English, but with the Italians they achieved a maximum draw. How can we achieve a historic result?
- At one time, we played Portugal to get out of the group. If we won, we went to the Euros. The Portuguese were the reigning European champions at the time. And I think we played very well then. Taras Stepanenko had a red card, and the game changed a little bit, but we still survived in the last minutes. I hope this match will have a similar result.
- Now you have come to the national team after a series of two goals for Everton. Are the fans delighted with this, and are you in a good mood?
- We'll see how it goes in the next game. I hope I'll be in the mood (smiles). I'm preparing for this match in a working order and calmly. You have to approach such matches with a cold mind. If you fly somewhere in the sky, it can play a cruel joke on you.
- Of course, it's important for a defender to be reliable at the back, but apparently, both in the national team and at Everton, coaches tell you to join the attacks and threaten the opposition 's goal
- In the national team and in the club, my functions are different. In some matches I have to go forward, in some I don't. This may be invisible to a fan who is just watching football. But I know exactly my functions for each game, and they can be different.
- Our match with the Italians will take place at the BayArena in Leverkusen. Have you had the opportunity to play at this stadium before?
- No, I haven't. In Germany, I have only played at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
- Do you expect a full house, as it was in the Ukraine-England match in Wroclaw?
- I'm just sure there will be a full house! Everyone will be rooting for us. And this is very important for the players, because we play for our country, for our fans. I am sure that they, as always, will support us passionately. I hope that together we will win! This game is also a great motivation for our soldiers. I have already spoken in an interview with a British publication about the motivation for our defenders at the front. The guys who have this opportunity follow our matches and often write to the players. If we win, I hope we can raise their morale and motivation to continue working hard to defend Ukraine.
