Denys Sytnyk: "The Icelandic national team likes to play football, not sit in the trenches"

Denys Sytnyk, a 37-year-old native of Kyiv with experience of playing for Icelandic clubs Vestmannaeyjar, Grindavik and Selfoss, told us what he expects from the Euro 2024 Ukraine vs Iceland play-off final match to be held tomorrow in Wroclaw.

- I think Ukraine is the favourite. Maybe Iceland is a little weaker than our team, but their players play at a good level and have a strong character, like the Bosnians. Iceland likes to play football, not sit in the trenches, so Ukraine has more chances with quick counterattacks.

In terms of playing qualities, Iceland is stronger than Bosnia, but the Bosnians, as we have seen, are very unyielding.

- Who is the most dangerous player in Iceland's squad?

- There are no bright stars in Iceland, but the players are not bad. The team leader is Genoa's Gudmundsson, who scored a hat-trick against Israel. Our defenders have to be careful against him.

- Which Icelandic team is stronger: the current one or the one that played at Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup?

- I think the previous generation of Icelanders who played at the Euros and the World Cup are stronger than the current one.

- From which of the players of the Ukrainian national team do you expect a bright game?

- I want Mudryk to prove himself. He has all the qualities to do so, but now he does not demonstrate the level expected of him. Perhaps this is what is putting pressure on him. Mykhailo is not making the best decisions on the pitch: he needs to take a break somewhere, hold the ball, but he is constantly up and running.

- What is your prediction for the match?

- I think that the main time will end in a 1-1 draw, and our team will win in extra time or in a penalty shootout.

- How do Icelanders treat Ukrainians?

- Icelanders treat us very well. The only thing is that they don't like Poles and Serbs. There is little crime in Iceland, but if any crimes do occur, they are usually committed by Poles or Serbs.

- Do they know anything about our country and athletes in Iceland?

- Of course, they knew about Shevchenko, especially since he played in the Premier League. The Icelanders are obsessed with the English Championship. While in Malta everyone supports Italian teams, in Iceland they support English teams.

When I first arrived in Iceland, the first thing they did not say hello to me was ask me who I supported in England. If you say the wrong team for which an Icelander supports, they start joking and joking. But I was lucky. I said Arsenal and I guessed right, because the Icelander is also a Gunners fan (Laughs).

- What is the level of football in Iceland compared to the UPL?

- I think it's somewhere on the level of the top 3 of our first league or the outsiders of the UPL. When Karpaty played against the Icelandic team in the UEFA Cup, it was not very easy for them. This is not the Maltese league.

The problem with the Icelandic championship is that the players' salaries are not very high. Young players, when they are discovered, go to Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, etc. That is why there are no local players in the national team. Icelandic clubs make money on transfers and give young people a chance.

Andrii Piskun