In a convincing style, the U-17 national team won its elite qualifying round group and qualified for the final tournament of the European Championship. These competitions were held in Greece, where, in addition to the hosts, our competitors were the Swiss and Slovaks. The team's head coach Yuriy Moroz shared his impressions of the reporting competition in Patras with Sport.UA .
- To be honest, I thought it would be harder. After all, we had to play, as they say, from the wheels, and this could have had a negative impact on the teamwork. Nevertheless, thanks to the cohesion and maximum motivation, the Ukrainians' actions were quite balanced.
- Who was considered the favourite to win the competition in Greece?
- I never pay attention to these pre-start ratings. Perhaps someone preferred the Greeks as the hosts, but we were determined to win.
- Did the Ukrainians come to Greece with the best possible squad?
- Only goalkeeper Oleksandr Petrenko from German side Bayer Leverkusen was absent due to injury. But we managed to attract all the strongest players of this age.
- Do you have a desire to single out anyone among the wards based on the results of the competition?
- I do not practice this. Everyone contributed to the winning performance. The Ukrainians were a strong team. The 4-3-3 tactical scheme, which was used most often, proved to be effective.
- Is it true that several of your players have been selected by the selectors of famous foreign clubs?
- I only have information that the matches in Patras were attended by scouts from Bundesliga and Premier League clubs. But they were watching not only Ukrainians but also players from other national teams. I don't know who they chose.
- Who else was on the coaching staff besides you?
- Anton Dyachenko, Ivan Trubochkin, Yevhen Larin and Vladimir Ikonnikov. We also had Unai Melgosa, the head of the Ukrainian youth team, with us in Greece. His presence undoubtedly served as an additional incentive for the players to demonstrate all their skills.
- What's next?
- The draw for the final tournament will take place on 3 April. Then we will find out who will be our rival in the fight for the European title at the competition to be held in Cyprus from 20 May to 5 June.