The next morning after winning the semi-final of the Euro 2024 play-offs over Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ukrainian national team did not stay in Sarajevo. After having breakfast at 9am, the Blue and Yellows left the hotel for the airport at 10am.
The plane with the Ukrainians on board took off from the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina at 11:30 am. The flight to Poznan, Poland, lasted an hour and a half, after which the national team delegation travelled another 40 minutes by bus to the town of Opalenica.
It was here that the team's general manager Oleksiy Targonsky found a very good combination of locations for recovery, accommodation and training in advance: football fields, of high quality, which is rare in Eastern Europe in March, are located right next to the hotel.
The complex also has a large swimming pool and facilities for fitness training of the highest professional level. Interestingly, the hotel's meeting rooms are named after famous European clubs, including one named after Dynamo Kyiv.
After arriving and having lunch in Opalenytsia, the team had an hour to rest, after which the coaching staff divided the players into two groups. The 11 guys who were in the starting line-up yesterday had the opportunity to have a fitness training session in the gym, recover their condition in the pool, and perform a set of recovery procedures.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team trained on one of the lawns near the hotel. After jogging, warming up and exercises on ball receiving and control techniques, the players completed the coaching staff's tasks in the format of game series. At the end of the training session, the national teams also worked in "stations" with final kicks. After quite intensive work, this group of players also had recovery procedures.
Over the next two days, the Ukrainian national team will continue to work in Opalenytsia.