Ukrainian clubs are laying the foundations for the second part of the season, national team coaches are preparing for March exams, and Andriy Shevchenko is taking his first important steps as head of the UAF.
On Thursday, the football community was expecting important news from Paris, where, in particular, the draw for the fourth edition of the Nations League was held. In the 2024/25 season, the national team of Ukraine will play in League B and, accordingly, will fight for a ticket to the elite division. In the autumn of 2020, our players have already felt its power and, of course, will try their best to get back into the top flight.
The course is for promotion
The day before, domestic journalists mostly outlined optimistic prospects for Serhii Rebrov's team. For example, the columnist Igor Tsvyk:
"Generally speaking, unless you take England, we can play with all other potential rivals on equal terms or even from a position of strength"(Sportanalytic.com, 07.02.24).
It is worth admitting that even against the backdrop of such assumptions, the draw for the Blue and Yellows was not the worst option, placing them in Group B1 alongside the Czech Republic, Albania and Georgia. At least that's the opinion of the Finns, who were also in the second basket before the draw, but will now play with England, Ireland and Greece.
Famous coach and former goalkeeper Yuriy Wirth said that Ukraine was lucky with the draw:
"The Ukrainians are the favourites in the group tournament. And this is by no means a mere hype. I believe that they are superior in class to their counterparts. Only they can prevent them from taking first place if they do not demonstrate their potential. But I believe that everything will be fine"(Sport.ua, 10.02.24).
However, predictions, no matter what they are, will remain predictions. The distance of the main stage of the Nations League is too short - just over two months - and anything can happen.
It is worth noting that the tournament draw system has undergone major changes. Previously, the transition between the Leagues was simple: the last to drop out and the first to rise. Now, the third teams of League A groups will play in the play-offs with the second teams of League B groups, and a similar exchange of participants will take place between Leagues B and C. The winner will play the next season in a higher division, and the loser will play in a lower one. This means that the value of each point increases.
"That is, if in the last campaign Ukraine finished second and remained in League B without alternatives, then with the new format it would still have a chance to play with France/Switzerland/Germany/Poland for promotion to League A" (Xsport.ua, 09.02.24), journalist Serhiy Lukyanenko specifies.
In addition, if earlier only the winners of League A groups claimed the main trophy, now the second places will also qualify for the final tournament. Accordingly, the quarter-finals will be played first, and only then will the Final Four take place.
Another important point is that the next Nations League will be tied to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and will give four additional tickets to the play-offs for the World Cup qualifiers.
"It's a good motivation to win your group" (Xsport.ua, 09.02.24), Lukyanenko aptly notes.
With respect, but without fear
Commenting on the results of the draw, Serhii Rebrov, of course, did not make any predictions, limiting himself to cautious statements and treating future rivals with due respect.
"The Nations League is an important tournament. Previously, there were friendly matches, but now each team has more important matches. I watched the Czech Republic and Albania a lot, and Georgia less. The Albanians play powerful football and have earned the right to play at the Euros. So have the Czechs and the Georgians, who will play in the play-offs. Willwe be facing the task of returning to League A? Yes"(Uaf.ua, 08.02.24).
The reaction of our coach's fellow opponents was similar. All of them express their readiness to solve the maximum tasks.
"I don't want to make any calculations, as I didn't make them before the draw. Our task is clear - we have to get up to Division A. The group is balanced, so it doesn't matter who plays when and with whom. We are waiting for a battle in every match"(Uaf.ua, 08.02.24), - assured the coach of the Czech Republic Ivan Hasek.
"A few years ago, Georgia played in League D, and now it is a League B team, which shows that Georgian football is on the right track. We are looking forward to meeting good teams. It will be a difficult test, but we learn from such matches"(Uaf.ua, 08.02.24), - said the French coach of the Georgians Willy Sagnol.
"This is a difficult group. We recently had the opportunity to feel the strength of the Czech national team. Georgia is progressing, and so is Ukraine. We have to fight in tough competition. Thetournament will not last long, and this is another moment in our lives to make great efforts"(Uaf.ua, 08.02.24), sums up Brazilian specialist Silvino, who is currently working with the Albanian national team.
It is nominally with a home match against Albania (7 September) that the Ukrainians will start the League of Nations, and it is on its field (19 November) that they will finish the group stage. However, Serhii Rebrov admits that all these nuances are currently in the background for him. All attention is on the play-off matches for Euro 2024.
"Right now we are focused on preparing for the upcoming head-to-head games. Only after them will we collect information about the rivals in the League of Nations"(Uaf.ua, 08.02.24), - says the coach reasonably. Indeed, the play-off matches are scheduled for the end of March, and on the 21st of March, Ukraine will play an away semi-final against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Zenica. Naturally, preparing for this confrontation is currently a priority for our coaching staff. Step by step.
From president to president
On the same day that Serhii Rebrov represented Ukraine for the first time in Paris as the head coach of the national team in the draw for the Nations League, Andrii Shevchenko took part in the regular UEFA Congress for the first time as the head of the UAF. Together with Andriy Mykolayovych, the event was also attended by the new Secretary General of the association, Ihor Hryshchenko.
According to UEFA's official website, a number of important decisions were made at the 48th UEFA Congress. In particular, amendments to the UEFA Statutes were introduced and approved, the report of the UEFA President and Executive Committee, the UEFA Administration Report for 2022/2023, as well as the financial statements for 2022/2023 and the budget for 2024/2025 were approved.
It is noteworthy that Shevchenko did not limit himself to participating in general procedures, hearings and votes. He also used his visit to Paris to address pressing issues that directly affect Ukraine.
On Wednesday, the UAF head briefly reported on his work in the French capital on social media:
"We are working in Paris at the UEFA Congress, which brings together representatives of all European football associations. We met with the delegations of Germany and Italy. We discussed the possibility of studying the experience of training and educating coaches and organising summer football camps for Ukrainian children. Separately, with German colleagues, we discussed the application of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands to host the 2027 Women's World Cup and the organisation of charity events"(Football24.ua, 07.02.24).
Moreover, Shevchenko held personal talks with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.
"At the meeting with UEFA President Alexander Cheferin, we discussed the next steps of the new UAF leadership and the prevention of the return of Russian teams to international competitions"(Ua-football.com, 07.02.24), Andriy Mykolayovych wrote on his Facebook page.
Well, we can see that Shevchenko does not throw words to the wind and is consistent in his actions. After the full-scale invasion of our country by Russian troops, he put his coaching career on hold and devoted himself entirely to humanitarian and public activities, becoming one of the most visible newsmakers of Ukraine in the world. The chair of the UAF gives the European football star additional leverage and opportunities, and the young official uses them effectively to defend the interests of our country.
By the way, as we can see, talks about the possible participation of Russian youth teams in tournaments under the auspices of the European Football Union have remained just that, talks. The aggressor country's teams remain on the sidelines of the big game, and no decisions have been made in France to ease sanctions against the Russians.
Meanwhile, Shevchenko also managed to meet with FIFA's head Gianni Infantino. The latter himself noted the importance of the conversation with the Ukrainian.
"I was pleased to meet with Andriy Shevchenko again, this time after he was elected president of the Ukrainian Football Association. As a player, Andriy Shevchenko inspired the nation, and as president of the Ukrainian Football Association, I am convinced he will do the same. Ukrainian football has maintained an impressive momentum in recent times during a difficult period, and with his energy, President Shevchenko will give the beautiful game in his country an extra boost, and we are here to support their continued growth on and off the field"(Fifa.com, 08.02.24), the UAF official website translates Infantino's words into Ukrainian.
"Every such meeting is an opportunity to remind the world about our country. We talked about Ukraine, about the situation in it. We talked about how we can not only preserve football in Ukraine, but also develop it during the war. This is a big challenge for me. I think we can work on different projects. FIFA has many programmes that we are already using as an association, but we plan to use them more and see in what direction we can cooperate in the future"(Uaf.ua, 08.02.24), Shevchenko added.
Later, the new head of the UAF also reported that he had met with French and Croatian delegations and agreed with them to carry out a number of joint football development projects.
So we can say that Andriy Shevchenko's trip to France was surprisingly useful, and it resulted in not only image gains for Ukraine.
A special approach to the young
In Paris, Shevchenko spoke about new international challenges, but of course, he has plenty of them at home. Rebooting the entire management system of Ukrainian football is a difficult and multilayered process, and in some cases it will require prompt, radical and not always popular moves. For example, it is obviously not worth delaying the resolution of such a pressing issue as the revival of the youth national championship. It is no wonder that the relevant discussions in the media do not subside, indicating the importance of this segment.
It is worth recalling that one of the initiators of the resumption of competitions for 21-year-old footballers is Serhii Rebrov. While remaining the head coach of the national team, he holds the position of UAF vice president and is actually in charge of building the country's national team vertical.
"My position is that I hope we will return the U-21. This is not just my proposal, my decision. We have to talk to the clubs and resolve this issue. My position is that the U-21 should be returned, it is very important for the institution of national teams and for the players' transition year" (Sport-express.ua, 25.01.24), Rebrov said.
If a person with such powers and tasks insists on reviewing a specific issue, it means that the situation really requires decisive action. Moreover, as Rebrov rightly says, he has enough like-minded people among reputable experts. Ruslan Rotan, the coach of the Olympic team and Oleksandriya, is on Serhiy Stanislavovych's side, and Dynamo and Vorskla have already spoken out in favour of the resumption of the youth tournament.
Recently, Kryvbas also gave an extra argument in defence of Rebrov's opinion, saying that they were putting their 20-year-old player Denys Shevchenko up for transfer. He was not included in the main team's application and is currently training under an individual programme.
"This situation is another vivid example of the need to create the U-21/U-23 championship, when a player is no longer eligible to play for the U-19 team, and cannot yet gain a foothold in the UPL club, which is applying for European competitions"(Fckryvbas.com, 05.02.24), the club's press service said in a statement.
Observer Serhiy Tyshchenko tried to look at this problem from different angles.
"The transition from youth football to adult football is one of the biggest problems in the world's number one sport. This problem is very relevant for Ukraine. There are good players at the level of youth teams, but not all of them go on to play professional football. Some players are physically and psychologically formed at the age of 17 and are ready to play among adults, while others are ready for professional football after 20"(Sport.ua, 06.02.24), he states.
At the same time, Tyshchenko insists that the institution of youth teams is not popular in Europe. That is, he agrees that Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, Ajax, and Benfica have second teams, but they do not play in competitions of their own age, but in the general tournaments of these countries.
The captain of the Ukrainian national team, Andriy Yarmolenko, recently had to express his opinion on this painful issue during a live line with fans held by the press service of Dynamo Kyiv. The 34-year-old winger, who is currently completing his recovery from an injury and a cold, was not categorical and did not act solely on his own interests, suggesting that the opinions of all stakeholders should be taken into account.
"We need to survey all the clubs. If we are talking specifically about Dynamo and Shakhtar, then yes, they need this championship. Take me, for example. I need playing practice after an injury. Where can I get it? I can't play for the U-19s, I'm not ready for the first team yet.
But if we're talking about clubs that don't have the same funding as Dynamo and Shakhtar, they can say that "we can't afford to keep another team". And they can be understood. We need to look for a way out"(Ukrfootball.ua, 06.02.24).
This means that Andriy Shevchenko, Serhiy Rebrov and other football executives and managers will have to weigh the pros and cons, take into account different points of view and make the best decision. A decision that may not satisfy everyone, but will be the most appropriate in today's environment.
Without looking back at the scoreboard
The aforementioned direct line with Yarmolenko was organised by the Kyiv club for a reason. After all, the upcoming return to action of our leading performer is probably one of the most anticipated events of the winter break. Both for Dynamo and the national team against the backdrop of its participation in the Euro 2024 play-offs.
Nevertheless, despite the absence of their leader, the Kyiv team is slowly gaining the necessary conditioning in preparation for the start of the second part of the season. Among the contenders for the championship, it is the capital's club that has scheduled the largest number of sparring matches for January and February, and the first training camp under the leadership of Oleksandr Shovkovskyi, another iconic figure in Ukrainian football who is persistently mastering the coaching profession, has attracted the most attention from journalists and fans.
While in Turkey, Kyiv managed to lose a few matches, but it is unlikely that the coaching staff pays too much attention to the results.
"I don't see any critical problems in this, because the team is working under physical stress - hence the large number of individual mistakes. We need to lay the foundation of physical training for the second part of the season. The coaching staff is trying different combinations of players. There is still time to get up to game condition"(Dynamo.kiev.ua, 04.02.24), - Serhiy Tyshchenko rightly notes.
The journalist's words are confirmed by the fact that the team was given three days off after the first stage of training, which once again shows the rigidity of the regime in which Dynamo is preparing.
We should not forget about the injuries of individual players that prevented the team from playing in the optimal line-up. We mentioned Yarmolenko's absence above, until Oleksandr Tymchyk returned to action due to a shoulder injury, and Vladyslav Supryaha, Volodymyr Shepelev, Mykola Shaparenko and Vitaliy Buyalsky have only recently recovered and rejoined the general group.
But young and promising defender Naveen Malysh is out for a long time. According to Dynamo's official website, he will miss at least three months due to a fracture of the fifth metatarsal bone.
Therefore, the results in the control matches are definitely not a key indicator for Shovkovskyi and his assistants. Moreover, Dynamo's rivals at the training camp are not spared from failure either. Kryvbas, Polissia, Dnipro-1 and even Shakhtar, who are playing their first match against Marseille this week in the Europa League knockout round, and therefore should be in fighting shape, are losing - sometimes by a large margin and not to the strongest opponents.
Dynamo's defensive play is not ideal either, and it is probably not without reason that rumours have been circulating for some time about the capital's possible acquisition of another defender. However, these talks are now dying down, as Shovkovskyi continues to work with the players he has at his disposal.
Many media professionals believe that the arrival of a new player now, in February, would be inappropriate:
"It takes time to balance the game and physical form of a potential newcomer with the first team players. To play in the centre of defence, you need to be cohesive, understand the team's play and the head coach's requirements. You won't get this in a few days or weeks. Inreality, a new player will be able to make a difference in late March or early April, and there won't be many matches left until the end of the championship"(Dynamo.kiev.ua, 07.02.24).
Recently, Dynamo crushed Latvian Liepaja (5:2) and drew with Macedonian Shkendija (1:1), missing a number of good scoring opportunities. The team is gaining momentum and will play four more friendly matches this week, trying to reach the proper level of readiness.
And football brings victory closer
The White and Blues will resume their league play on 25 February with an away game against Metalist 1925, while LNZ and Kryvbas will open the official programme of the 18th round on 23 February. But no games are scheduled for the 24th. It was on this day two years ago that the full-scale invasion of our country by Russian troops began...
Yes, this season is already the second one that Ukrainian teams are playing in a real ruthless war. Unable to use all the stadiums, losing legionnaires, playing with empty stands and interrupting matches due to air raids. But there is no other way out. Moreover, our football management, clubs, and regional branches face a double challenge: to keep our beloved game afloat and to provide as much help as possible to our defenders, people affected by the actions of the brutal aggressor.
Recently, for example, it became known that Dynamo, which has repeatedly sent food, medicines, transport, various equipment, etc. to the frontline and hospitals, continued its humanitarian mission. This time, the club donated resuscitation equipment to a military hospital.
"Dynamo, together with the Ukrainian community in Norway, organised the delivery of a valuable cargo with rehabilitation equipment to Kyiv, which has already been sent to the Main Military Medical Clinical Centre of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine" (Rbc.ua, 08.02.24).
Such actions inspire and serve as an example to follow. They also reveal additional opportunities for the national football community, whose role and influence should not be limited to green fields.
Orest LELEKA
