Bosnia and Herzegovina head coach Savo Milosevic answered journalists' questions during the pre-match press conference, which was dedicated to the Euro 2024 qualification play-off round against Ukraine.
Savo Milosevic and Edin Dzeko. Photo: N1- Are you ready to fully utilise Ermedin Demirovic and Edin Dzeko tomorrow?
- We will try to choose the best tactics for this game and maximise the use of our best players.
- How motivated is the team and do they believe in success in the upcoming game?
- Frankly speaking: if I did not believe that tomorrow we can achieve a favourable result, I would not even be here. I think the guys think so too, Dzeko is the first of them. We have to realise that it will be a very difficult game, but we know what we have to do to win.
I know what our team is capable of, I believe in my players and we have to show it all on the pitch. As for the possible opponent in the play-off final, I don't care about that now, we don't think about it. When tomorrow's match is over, then we will think about it.
- The Ukraine national team often gives the initiative to the opponent and does not possess the ball for a long time. Will the team of Bosnia and Herzegovina play first?
- Not always possession of the ball gives a positive result. For example, I analysed the performance of teams at the European Championship in France in 2016. At that time, 60 per cent of the teams that possessed the ball lost their matches. Ball possession does not play a particularly important role, on the contrary, it can often be misleading.
We have to play in such a way that we know when and what exactly to do on the pitch. There must be maximum concentration in everything, a match like this cannot be played any other way. It would be foolish to think differently. And the most important thing is to win. My idea is to cross the centre of the pitch as quickly as possible and get to the opponent's penalty area. I am not in favour of playing the ball for a long time.
- How much attention will the team pay to standard positions and penalty shootouts?
- We have all the information about Ukraine, I played with Rebrov. We paid enough attention to everything, to all aspects of the game. It concerns everything, including penalties. Today at the training session we will practise everything again.
- Do you have a dilemma about the goalkeepers of the national team?
- I am satisfied with all goalkeepers, and I trust them all equally. I can say that all the players are very much looking forward to this match. It is important to approach this meeting with a cool head, but we will definitely have no problems with motivation.
