Famous Ukrainian coach, former coach of Tavria, Sevastopol Sergiy Puchkov analysed the Euro-2024 qualifying match between Ukraine and Italy (0:0), which took place yesterday in Leverkusen.
- A month before the match in Leverkusen, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin allowed himself to make a rather loud statement, saying: "Italy must qualify for Euro 2024, otherwise it will be a disaster. The Italian national team is very important. I think the Italians will beat Ukraine". How did you react to these words?
- Negatively. An official of such a scale should not make such statements. Ceferin is a public man, responsible for football in Europe - and to say such a thing.... It's unacceptable. After all, Italy did not win in Ukraine. And I would also like to ask: where is the famous VAR, which must be used at such decisive games?
- Do you think that Ceferin's statement somehow affected the preparation for the match of the players of our national team?
- I think not. Nobody thought about it. The players abstracted from any external factors, focusing solely on the game with the reigning European champion.
- At the end of the game with Italy in its penalty area there was an episode, as a result of which after a fight with Brian Cristante our midfielder Mikhail Mudryk was on the turf. Do you think there was a penalty?
- From the stands of BayArena it was difficult to immediately say unequivocally whether there was a penalty or not and what exactly preceded this situation. After all, I had no opportunity to see the replay. However, after the match, having watched the video, I was convinced that the referee had every reason to award the penalty.
In a match in which the fate of two national teams is decided, Jesus Gil Manzano had to refer to the VAR system and carefully review the episode to put all doubts to rest. However, if he did not do so, it means one thing: the referee realised that after reviewing the video replay he would have to "set" the penalty. And if he did that, Italy would not qualify directly for the European Championship finals. It seems that this is why he did not dare to point to the eleven-metre mark.
Interestingly, after the game, one of the representatives of the Italian national team of the 1982 World Cup champion Giuseppe Bergomi admitted that there was contact and Mudryk was knocked down. And the goalkeeper of the current Italian national team Gianluigi Donnarumma said that it was possible to "put" a penalty in the mentioned episode.
- Did the game of the Ukrainian national team against the Italians please you?
- In general, I was pleased with the dedication of the guys. Although in such a match we should have acted more decisively. I do not know why, but in this game the coaching staff of our national team resorted to substitutions too late. Most of them started to happen only at the very end of the game, when there were a few minutes left before the final whistle. Although we had to take risks, because only victory suited us. If you don't get out of the second place in the group, the third place, which preserves your chances for the play-offs, is assured. And what was there to be afraid of?
- Do you think, perhaps, the coaching staff of the Ukraine national team should have substituted Ruslan Malinovskyi earlier than just before the final whistle? After all, he has long been adapted to Italian football, besides he has an important weapon - a powerful kick....
- It is incomprehensible to me to release Malinovskyi only in the minutes compensated before the main time. How can this player help in such a short period of time? Ruslan is a qualified, experienced guy. In such a game he would not be superfluous, because he can shoot from any distance, he has a good left-footed shot. And to leave him on the bench for so long was not quite rational.
In addition to Malinovskiy, Sikan should have been released much earlier, not in the 86th minute. To create more load for the Italian defence. The efforts of one Dovbik, who fought and tried his best, were not enough. It is clear that it was hard for Artem, and that's why we should have gone for broke by pairing him with a second striker at least twenty minutes before the end of the game. We needed to emphasise the attack. The Italians have always played reliably in defence and there have never been any particular complaints about this line. Catenaccio is catenaccio.
- What do you think Serhiy Rebrov's team lacked to win?
- Individual skill. Our team had several chances in the first half (in particular, when Sudakov hit the target from long range), and in the second half, when Konoplya, having received the ball, passed forward, but instead of passing to two partners who were on the way to the goal, for some reason he passed back. It was a very good moment, we could have made the most out of it. But what can you do, Yefim was in a hurry in this episode.
Mudrik also tried, but it was hard for him alone. Yes, I realise that the result of the match put psychological pressure on our players. Still, we could have tried to do something to achieve the goal in attack. Even despite the fact that most of the offensive actions of the Ukraine national team were destroyed by the Italians.
What the coaching staff of our team hoped for - I do not know, but the aggravation of the game in the end was not done. Although we all know that you should look for happiness at other people's gates. And not in vain the coach of the Italian team was nervous. I was sitting on the stand just opposite the bench of our national team and carefully watched how Luciano Spaletti was behaving at the neighbouring bench. Being in the technical area, he was shouting, walking and praying. It was obvious that the Italian was very worried about the result, afraid that our national team could score. Although we had several half-counterattacks, which were choked at the very beginning. Sergei Rebrov, apparently, hoped that it would be possible to lure the Italians deep into our half of the pitch and due to this it would be possible to conduct effective counterattacks. However, it did not happen.
- Oleksandr Karavaev, who often acts as a wand-maker for Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukraine national team, was not in the matchday squad at all. Why do you think?
- When I read the application form, it was a surprise for me. I did not understand what the coaching staff was guided by, not including Karavaev in the list. I think that Oleksandr could have sharpened the game, because he has the ability to work. Especially, given his good luck in recent games for both the club and the national team. Remember at least his goal against North Macedonia, which not only relieved the tension in that match, but also instantly closed the question of the winner. I don't even understand why he was not included in the application form.
Will this fact affect Karavaev psychologically? I don't think so. Although it is understandable that it is not very pleasant - to be called up to the national team for such an important match and not get the opportunity to help the team. He is a real professional and should continue to move on his course. There are still club affairs to focus on. After all, apart from three matches of the next rounds of the autumn part of the season Dynamo will have to finish the missed games.
- How do you assess the performance of our national team in the qualifying cycle of Euro-2024?
- Well done guys. They were intriguing in the group until the last game. It was quite serious, attracting special attention from fans and specialists. Now we are waiting for the play-off matches, which give us a chance to qualify for the European Championship. On this occasion we will hope for the best. If we could get into the same group with Italy and beat it (smiles)....
Vyacheslav Kulchitsky