On the eve of the friendly match with the Japanese U-23 team, the head coach of the Ukrainian Olympic team Ruslan Rotan held a press conference to answer questions from journalists.
Ruslan Rotan. Photo: gettyimages.com- What is the main task facing the Ukrainian national team in the upcoming match?
- First of all, we would like to thank the people of Japan for being very close to us despite the long distance between our countries. Japan was one of the first countries to stand with us and provide Ukraine with a lot of assistance in the fight against the aggressor.
As for the question, we are now starting to prepare for the Olympic Games. And it is important for us to prepare for them as well as possible. Therefore, the game with the Japanese national team is very useful. Our opponent is a very good team. We watched their matches. I would like to wish your team to make it to the Olympic Games. We will be cheering for you, and maybe we will be in the same group together.
- Please tell us how you managed to build such a strong team.
- Thank you for the compliment and I would like to note that our nation, and footballers in particular, are maximalists. The success of our Olympic team is a very important step forward for us. This is our first time at the Olympic Games, and we have no experience of playing there. This is very important for our country, but it is even more important to prepare for the Games and do well. We have a really strong team. The only problem I see today is that not all Ukrainian clubs are ready to let their players go. This shouldn't be the case, because it is the prestige of our country - especially at a time like this. We will try to improve our game, because there is still room for development.
- What is your personnel situation?
- Our situation is such that our first team is currently playing in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, and it has players from the Olympic team whom we would like to see at the Games. In addition, the youth team will now play an important European Championship qualifier against Azerbaijan. So the match against Japan is probably the third in priority, because it is a friendly. Despite this, it is very important for us. We have guys who are not involved in those official matches and are in the Olympic team for the first time. Therefore, the opportunity to go to the Olympic Games is a great chance for them, and they are focused on it.
- How do you get on with the new UAF president, Andriy Shevchenko?
- Everything is going well. The most important thing is that we have communication and understanding. Mr Shevchenko has a good attitude towards the Olympic team and understands that the Games are very important competitions. We would like to thank him for organising the team's training in Hungary, where we had the opportunity to train in good conditions. This is very important for us, because this team has just come together, and these days were like a breath of fresh air for us. We have a dialogue with Andriy Shevchenko and we have help in all the things we need. We are grateful to the Ukrainian Football Association and Mr Shevchenko personally for this.
We would like to remind you that the friendly match between the Ukrainian Olympic team and the Japanese U-23 team will take place on 25 March at the Kitakyushu Stadium and will start at 19:15 local time (12:15 Kyiv time).
